Under Better Circumstances
by Rebel666
Summary: After being retrieved from Omega, Lt James Vega is in charge of protecting the Alliance's most valuable asset... Commander Nevada Shepard. Little does he know that it was just the beginning of their story.
1. Chapter 1: Coincidence

Chapter 1 – Coincidence

"You're coming with me to Earth. _Now_," Admiral Anderson commanded, walking proudly in his Alliance blues. With his entourage following closely behind him, he stood out amongst the crowd of degenerates in Omega. A tall and brawny soldier with blood dripping from his Mohawk also accompanied him on his way to the docking bay.

"Forget it. There's nothing for me there," Lieutenant James Vega barked.

"I've got something for you. Something you haven't had before."

"Just throw me in the goddamned brig and be done with it!"

"You're not far off, Lieutenant," the Admiral shot back from the airlock of the SR-2, "Only you'll be guarding the brig."

Vega followed Anderson aboard and was immediately mesmerized by the Normandy's interior. He heard rumors of the legendary starship but never expected to find himself walking amongst its hallways. Yet there was an unusual settling in his gut. The Alliance emblems coated the walls of the vessel provided an overpowering feeling as if it was recently commandeered from another organization.

Anderson stopped in front of a doorway and suggested the Lieutenant enter, adding, "One prisoner in particular."

Upon walking into the room, he encountered a woman donned in pitch black armor. There was a distinctive red stripe down her right arm and the N7 logo on her chest. "Commander… Shepard?"

Shepard was hunched over her knees, her hands cuffed together. Her wavy brown hair was brought back into a ponytail and curled over the side of her neck. She vacantly stared at her metal restraints, memorizing the tension each dangling chain link demonstrated when she pulled it apart.

She brought her piercing light brown eyes to greet her guest. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "So you're the one Anderson wanted to guard me?"

"I guess so, ma'am."

"Please don't call me ma'am," she quickly looked away, "makes me feel old."

"Fine, Commander."

"Probably shouldn't call me that either… I don't know how much longer I'll have that title."

"Alright, Shepard."

"Now that sounds more familiar," she chuckled under her breath, "With how many people address me as Shepard, I wonder if anyone even knows my first name."

"It's Nevada."

She immediately brought her attention back to him. With a glow in her wide eyes, she smiled, "Well, this is a rare treat. I didn't expect someone I just met to know anything about me, especially my name."

"I know more than you think."

"Probably from the media…"

"No, I have a great deal of respect for you. You're a goddamned hero in my books so I took the liberty of doing some research."

"Hmph, some hero I am," she raised her cuffed hands and shook the chains at him. "Do I get the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"Lt Vega. You can call me James."

"Well, James, I know why I'm here but did Anderson tell you why he's pulling you away from the heart of Omega?"

"Apparently I need more training," he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, his broad shoulders nearly covering the width of the opening.

"So it had nothing to do with that trail of blood dripping down your face?"

"That's," Vega wiped away a portion of the red fluid from his forehead, "it's nothing."

"Surely doesn't look like it."

"I had a disagreement with some batarians."

"Must have been quite the disagreement… granted, it must not have taken much. They have been waiting to pin something on us humans since the beginning."

"Like three hundred thousand deaths?"

"What a coincidence. That's what I'm in here for," Shepard replied with despair vibrant in her tone.

"What exactly happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she forcefully addressed, returning her gaze to her confined hands. She attempted to tug apart the cuffs but failed, letting out a desperate sigh in its wake. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Damn… It's just me against the world…"

A deafening silence filled the small room, changing the atmosphere and causing the air to thicken. Vega stood completely still, unsure on how to respond. From everything he read about her, he never expected to witness the great Commander Shepard showing signs of desperation. The way she was described transformed her into an immortal hero… but she was only human… a mortal who received more than she could bargain for.

"James," Nev Shepard brought her eyes to meet his again, "Anderson didn't say much about you but he did mention something about an incident on Fehl. Can you tell me about it?"

"With no disrespect, I would rather not," he turned his head away.

"I'll share my past if you share yours."

"I would rather not."

"Suit yourself," she grumbled, returning her elbows to her knees and leaning forward.

Refusing the Commander gave him an uncomfortable feeling. There was something about her that he felt he could confide in. He uncrossed his arms and friendly suggested, "Maybe next time I'll tell you."

"Hopefully it'll be under better circumstances," she scoffed, "I know its protocol to have me detained but I think the handcuffs are a bit much. I am doing this willingly…"

The Lieutenant took a seat on the opposing bench. Taking her hands into his, he examined the restraints. They were the highest military grade cuffs available, forged from the toughest metal. The extra precautions must have been a way to appease the batarians.

Nevada leaned back confused, darting her gaze between the large hands encompassing hers and their owner's eyes. She couldn't distinguish if he was merely taking a closer look at the steel clasped on her wrists or if he was doing a random act of kindness. She gently wrapped her fingers around his, anticipating an abrupt retraction. But he didn't pull away… he continued holding on.

She closed her eyes and muttered, "It's a long story."

"What is?" Vega asked completely puzzled.

"Why I destroyed the mass relay…"

"We have a few hours until we get to Earth."

"That's more than enough," Shepard smiled.


	2. Chapter 2: After Hours Visitor

Chapter 1.5 – After Hours Visitor

The lights in the Detention Center were dimmed and the halls were quiet. Apart from a couple of Alliance soldiers doing their rounds around the building, Nevada Shepard was alone. Locked in her room night after night, she had nothing to do but patiently wait for morning to break over the horizon. Every night the silence haunted her, tugging on the verge of her sanity. The longer she waited for her trial, the more her isolation crept into the depths of her mind. She was a prisoner restricted to an empty cell where her only company was her memories.

Lying down on the bed, her eyes welled up. She wanted nothing more than to spend another night on the hard mattress in her quarters aboard the Normandy. It may have been unpleasant to sleep in but it was where she belonged. She was a Commander stranded without a mission, without a team, without a ship. Even with her title being revoked, the protocol was so ingrained in her lifestyle that she was having difficulties adjusting. Not even the soft pillows or the warm sheets made this confinement comfortable.

Knowing no one would hear, she openly confessed, "I miss _my_ bed… I miss my crew… I miss the Normandy… I miss the battles… I miss being… me."

Rolling onto her side, she peered around the dim room. Snow lightly shimmered outside her window, reflecting off the soft glow from the halogens of Alliance HQ. Blanketing the grounds in a sea of white and camouflaging the surrounding buildings to blend together. The silhouette of a pine tree sat in the corner near the window, its dark branches dressed in various ornaments and tinsel. Nevada avoided celebrating holidays but the higher ups insisted she have a tree… saying it would be good for morale. Even though it was nothing more than a lifeless piece of plastic, she could swear it was begging her to plug in the lights. Maybe it was the mysticism of the season growing on her.

Shepard shifted onto her back and stared at the ceiling, counting the holes scattered across the panels. She sighed, "Another restless night, another…"

She got interrupted by a faint knock at the door. Immediately sitting up on the bed, she locked her concentration on the doorway. Another knock vibrated from it, followed by the clicking noises of the door being unlatched. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest cavity, anticipating the worst. She had many enemies who would jump at the chance to take her out… especially with her being unarmed and the center being manned at minimal capacity for the holidays.

In the flick of a switch, the light near the door came on and revealed a burly man standing with a large bottle of tequila in his hand. Lieutenant James Vega quietly closed the door and directed his attention to the woman groggily staring at him. "Feliz Navidad, Commander… Thought you could use some company," he smiled, wholeheartedly.

"You know you shouldn't be here, James. Especially with that bottle," Nevada grumbled, stirring away from her sheets and bringing her legs to dangle at the edge of her mattress.

"I shouldn't be calling you Commander either but I still do."

"You'll be in a world of trouble if anyone finds out."

"No one will. I have some compadres working the rounds tonight. We're in the clear until sunrise," he added, walking over to her holiday tree and plugging in the lights. The multicolored bulbs presented a comforting glow to the room, their ambient hues dressing the walls with a cheerful shine. He grabbed two glasses from the counter and placed them alongside the tequila bottle on her nightstand. Pulling away the chair from her nearby desk, he placed it next to her bed and took a seat, "Plus, no one should spend Christmas alone."

Trying to make sense of his after hours intrusion, she asked, "What if I wanted to be alone?"

"No one likes being alone… including you, Shepard… and especially on the holidays."

"How would you know?"

"I think I know you well enough by now," he smiled, recollecting their time spent since they first encountered each other on Omega.

Her eyes shied away, "Fine, but what if I don't like to celebrate Christmas?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Too much of a distraction, duty always comes first," she commanded, her authoritative disposition still reverberating in her voice.

Pouring a good portion of tequila into each glass, James added a splash more into his before mentioning, "But you're not on duty right now."

"Thanks for reminding me about my 'voluntary' decommission," she sneered. Hunched over her knees, the mental impression of the heavy military-grade cuffs plagued her thoughts. Even with her shackles gone, she could feel their haunting presence.

"How about this… we set everything aside and just drink for the sake of it?" he asked, handing her a filled glass.

"I can handle that," she took the glass and held it up, "Cheers."

"Salud," Vega purred, letting his Spanish accent rumble.

The burn from the tequila awakened every one of her senses. This was her first time drinking since she had been detained. Shepard stared at the empty glass, feeling the warmth work its way through her veins. Letting the sensation begin to engulf her, she curiously wondered "What makes you think that I'm lonely?"

"You carry yourself well around others but I can see right through that tough skin of yours. I know what you are really hiding, you can't fool me."

"Maybe you do, Lieutenant. Or maybe I have you fooled as well," Shepard scoffed, "But consider me intrigued, so continue…"

"Well you have nothing to do when I'm not here, I can see how much you crave attention every time I enter and your eyes lock onto me… Plain and simply, you're miserable here."

"Of course I'm miserable. I'm in a holding cell," she snarled, her fingers tensely gripping onto the bottle of tequila as she poured another round, "They are testing my patience… and my sanity… I'm under constant scrutiny and it feels like they want me to go insane, they want me to snap. Then they can have a valid reason for their actions."

"At least you have me around to keep you company."

"I don't need y-" her voice pierced, stopping mid-sentence to further evaluate her statement. Nevada eyed the Lieutenant patiently waiting for her response. She changed her tone to emphasize the next series of words, "I don't need you but… I do appreciate you spending all this time with me. It does help."

James promptly sat up, smiling, "You know what else helps?"

Curious, she raised her eyebrow and asked, "What?"

"Another drink," he pushed the bottle towards her, "And take a real shot… not one of those senorita sips."

Without another word, she snatched the bottle and pursed the opening to her lips. Chugging down three solid gulps of tequila and pounding the bottle back on the table. She stared at the Lieutenant and didn't remove her gaze the entire time the liquor scorched down her throat, nearly regretting the spontaneous action.

"Now we're talking!" James exclaimed, sincerely shocked.

Feeling the effects immediately taking their toll, she admitted, "It's been awhile since I felt that… Last time I drank, I ended up on the floor."

"How many shots did that take?"

"I don't remember. All I can recall was the bartender pouring me a glass of Ryncol."

"Ryncol?" Vega snorted, the liquor in his mouth threatening to jump out his nose, "Really, Shepard? You expect me to believe that? You must be loco."

"I wouldn't lie to you. If you want, we can settle this right now…" her lip curled to the side, she was determined to prove her ability to out-drink him.

"Deal. I doubt you can even keep up with me. You seem to forget that I've been drinking a lot since the incident on Fehl."

"And you seem to forget that I was dead."

"You win in that aspect but I'm still going to drink you under the table."

"Under the table, huh? Is that all you were planning to do there?" she taunted, seeing if she could get a rise out of him.

The Lieutenant cocked his head at the unexpected statement, carefully evaluating Shepard's intentions, "You're going to have to work harder than that if you want me to blush."

"We'll see about that, Mr. Vega," she smiled, "After all, you brought me a gift… now I owe you one."

"You don't have to."

"No, I need to repay you back, Lieutenant. I cannot have this hanging over my head. So what'll it be?"

"What are my options?"

"For the sake of curiosity… anything you could ever desire," she paused with the rim of her glass pursed against her lips, "as long as it's within regulations."

Without any hesitation, James admitted, "I would love to see you in a dress."

Shepard immediately gagged on the shot of tequila in her throat, "No way, I look horrendous in those things. I did it once… never again. I'm surprised I haven't burned it yet."

"I don't know, Shepard, I think you would look good in a dress. Especially something short to show off those legs of yours."

"Are you flirting with me, Lieutenant?"

"For the sake of this argument, I'm going to say it's the tequila talking," he smiled right before taking another drink.

"Good because it's against protocol."

"But you're not a Commander at the moment," he included, anxiously waiting to see if she would notice his advances.

"You still call me one."

"That's because I have nothing but respect for you."

"Well, as long as you don't become president of some fanclub, I'll let it pass. I have enough of that with Conrad."

"Conrad? Is he an old beau?"

"No, no, no, no… I would rather shoot myself. Actually," she chuckled, "I shot him. Conrad Verner is nothing more but an obsessed fan. It's one thing to take my example and use it to try and better the world, it's another to go around wearing the same armor and causing more trouble than good."

"So you shot him?"

"In the foot… nothing serious, just something to hopefully make him think twice."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Are you reconsidering your statement about me in the dress?"

"No, I'll stand my ground on that issue."

"Confidence… Determination… I like that in a man," she bit her lip.

"Are _you _flirting with me, Commander?" he asked, turning the question around.

"For the sake of this argument," she repeated his sentence, mocking him, "I'm going to blame the tequila."

"Cheap shot, Shepard," the Lieutenant pouted, knowing he lost his chance at an honest answer, "What's next? You're going to shoot me in the foot for getting too close?"

"No, you're no where close to Conrad, he's beyond irritating. I never want to see that man again. But knowing my luck, I will bump into him again… and he's gotten himself in even more trouble just from trying to be like me."

"Maybe I should think of a nickname for him ahead of time," he joked, sliding the bottle towards Nevada suggesting she refill her glass.

As she unscrewed the top, she was curious about his fascination with giving people nicknames. Whenever he encountered another Alliance soldier in the hallway, he was calling them by their newly acquired name. "What's with you and the nicknames?"

"Some people just don't match their names, so, you know... I just give them a new one."

"What about me? Do I get a nickname?"

"I haven't thought of one for you yet."

"Oh come on, James. You have nicknames for everyone but me… think of one."

He quietly stared at Nevada, his drunken gaze concentrating on her every attribute, "You kind of look like a Lola."

"Lola?"

"Yeah, my best friend's sister growing up was Lola. She was hot… and tough."

"Hot and tough, huh? You're cute... so I'll let you get away with it. For now," she

"I can think of worse things to call you."

"Oh? Like what?"

"If I really wanted to get under your skin, I would call you Navidad… since you don't like to celebrate Christmas and Navidad is similar to Nevada. Navidad," he snickered, emphasizing the similarities in the two words.

"Laugh it up, soldier," she glared at him.

"You asked."

"Then take a stab at me."

"Your hair is stupid."

"Is that the best you can come up with?"

"I'm drunk, shut up," she pursed her lips, pouting.

He laughed at his little victory, "So what'll it be?"

"I'm fine with Lola."

"You got it, Lola," James confirmed, "From now on, that's all I'm going to call you whenever I visit."

"Come to think of it," she pondered, "Why are you always in here, James? I'm sure you have better places to be."

"I can't tell you."

Shepard gawked at him, the alcohol fueling her curiosity, "You know by saying you can't tell me that you have to tell me. You can't leave a damsel hanging."

Trying to avoid the conversation, Vega attempted being direct, "It is classified Alliance information, Commander."

"Come on, James. You expect me to believe that your reason for hanging around me is classified. Just tell me… I probably won't remember in an hour or two anyway…" she slurred, staring at the drops remaining in her glass, "make that about half an hour."

"No."

Nevada set her glass down and leaned forward, drunkenly batting her eyelashes at him. She began breathing heavily, her voice successfully concealing her inebriation, "You could just stand by the door, sticking to the code and leaving me alone while on guard…" She shifted towards him, closing in their distance. Skillfully using her beauty and sexual prowess to clench onto his heartstrings, "but you don't. You've been waltzing in here nearly every day, talking with me… playing chess with me… keeping me company."

"I…" he gulped, "I made a promise to Admiral Anderson."

"And," she bit her lip, waiting for him to continue.

The closer Shepard became, the louder his heart pounded. She was devious in her ability to play with his emotions. Tugging on his attraction to her and pulling away with her unyielding devotion to her duty. This wasn't the first time she toyed with him but even with knowing her every move, he still couldn't resist her crafty advances. Her body was honed in, her heavy breathing brushing against his ear… sending tingles down his spine, exciting his senses. All he could wonder is know how far she'd go this time.

"I'm waiting, Lieutenant," she whispered with her lips nearly an inch away from his lobe.

He could no longer contain himself, "I promised I would protect the most valuable asset the Alliance could ever have."

"Is that all?"

"No. In time, I came to enjoy spending my time with you, Shepard. You are one hell of a solider. You are the best N7 operative I know."

"Was that so difficult?" she purred, her mouth becoming dangerously close… her long hair dusting across his bare skin.

"No, it's just…" he paused to breathe in her aroma, "I hold you so highly in my thoughts that spending time with you is priceless."

"Are you trying to make me blush?"

"That depends, are you going to slug me if I say yes? Or will I be luckier today?" he asked, a smirk happily planting itself on his face.

Nevada stared directly into his deep brown eyes, weighing her options. In a split second, she pulled away, "Not today, Lieutenant."

The blood pumping through his veins boiled, "You are such a tease, Commander!"

"I know," she smiled, shifting back to her spot on the bed.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I can, you were holding information I wanted and I was going to do whatever I could to retrieve it."

"If that was all then maybe I should be more hesitant to tell you."

"Maybe you should…" she winked, grabbing the tequila. She tilted the bottle and noticed a lack of liquid coming out. She peered down the neck, confirming the contents were empty. "Looks like we already went through the whole bottle," the slur in her tone becoming more apparent, "I'm not even _that _drunk yet."

"I'm not either," the Lieutenant added with his voice equally as inebriated.

"I guess we'll have to settle our drinking duel another time."

"Or… I could get the other bottle in my locker."

"You have liquor in your Alliance locker?"

James nodded.

"As much as that is against regulations… I approve of it," she admitted, attracted to the idea of sharing a few more drinks with the Lieutenant, "Do you think you can retrieve it without drawing any attention?"

"Oh course."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked with the holiday tree lights twinkling in her eyes.

James Vega stood up, the alcohol rushing to his head and causing him to wobble a bit. As he began stumbling towards the door, his thoughts were filled with the Commander's alluring nature. The way she used her body to entice him left him yearning for more. Knowing she would continue to choose duty over his devoted adoration, he could only remain hopeful in eventually breaking her barrier. When his hand was on the handle, he heard Shepard shout his name.

"James," she called out, "I just wanted to let you know that this was a good idea. Gra-… gratzi-… oh how do you say thank you again?"

"Gracias."

"That's it! Gracias, Señor Vega."

Hearing Shepard trying to use his native tongue warmed his heart. It didn't matter if the way she pronounced the words was horrible… all that mattered was how she was trying. He shook his head with a smile, "I like you, Lola."

"I like you too. Now hurry up, that's an order."


	3. Chapter 3: At A Moments Notice

Chapter 2 – At A Moment's Notice

The air was tense within the walls of Alliance Headquarters. Everyone was frantically running around, rushing to their destinations and searching for answers. Chaos was brewing outside the safety of the Alliance defenses and only one person could help make any sense of it.

Brushing past his fellow soldiers, Lieutenant James Vega navigated his way through the detention center. His orders were clear… retrieve Nevada Shepard. As he quickly entered the room Shepard spent the past few months in, he noticed how she was quietly looking out the window. Freedom was right on the other side of the glass, she could see it but it was outside of her grasp.

"Commander," he saluted.

She turned around to greet the Lieutenant, "You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James."

"Not supposed to salute you either."

"You've got a point," she snickered, shaking her head, "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

Turning on his heel, he began walking out the door, "We gotta go. The Defense Committee wants to see you."

"Sounds important," she noted, running out the door to catch up to him. Immediately she noticed the frantic Alliance soldiers scurrying about the hallways. A sense of urgency bellowed in their wide gazes, distracting them from the ex-Commander wandering in their midst. Typically they all stared at her when she traversed around Headquarters but today she was a ghost. "What's going on?"

"Couldn't say. Just told me they needed you… now."

"I guess I don't have time for a smoke break, huh," she joked.

"Maybe later," he grinned back, "For now, I need to bring you to the Committee."

"I'll hold you to it," her voice stumbled, secretly revealing her concern for her future.

Sitting in a room day after day began taking its toll and she wanted nothing more than to get back into action. The longer she was detained, the less time she would have to prepare. She knew the end was coming and she was determined to fight until her last breath… but she was scared. The Lieutenant could see the strong woman beside him hiding everything behind her deep brown eyes. He didn't know how to tell her that he saw her distress as the world was crumbling. The only thing he could do is continue to protect her.

"Anderson," Shepard called out when seeing the tall man walking towards her.

Immediately James Vega saluted his superior, "Admiral."

"You look good, Shepard. Maybe a little soft around the edges," he acknowledged the two and took the lead, "How are you holding up since being relieved from duty?"

"It's not so bad once you get used to the hot food and soft beds," she smiled, following the Admiral towards the Defense Committee, "Not like the meals I had back on the Normandy."

"We'll get it sorted out."

"What's going on? Why is everyone in such a hurry?"

"Admiral Hackett is mobilizing the fleets. I'm guessing word's made it to Alliance Command. Something big is heading our way."

Without any warning, Shepard stopped dead in her tracks, "The Reapers?"

"We don't know. Not for certain."

"What else could it be?" she asked, staring back at the Lieutenant standing guard. He nodded, confirming his belief in her statement.

"That's not important, what we need to do is plead your case to the Defense Committee."

"Unless we're planning to talk the Reapers to death, the Committee is a waste of time."

"They're just scared. None of them have seen what you've seen. You faced down a Reaper, hell you spoke to one then blew the damn thing up. You've seen how they harvest us, what they plan to do to us, you know more about this enemy than anyone."

Nevada felt the bitter taste burn within her mouth, "That why they grounded me? Took away my ship?"

"You know that's not true," the Admiral firmly reassured her, "When you blew up the batarian relay, hundreds of thousands of batarians died."

Shepard shook her head in disgust, "It was that or let the Reapers walk through our back door."

"I know that, Shepard. And so does the Committee. If it wasn't for that, you would have been court-martialed and left to rot in the brig."

"I'm just a soldier, Anderson," Nevada shrugged, "I'm no politician."

"I don't need you to be either," he pointed, walking forward, "I just need you to do whatever the hell it takes to help us stop the Reapers."

Watching a short woman come up to the Admiral to confirm their meeting with the Defense Committee, James Vega knew this was goodbye. Placing his hand out, the Lieutenant said, "Good luck in there, Shepard."

"Thank you, James," Nevada smiled, giving him a firm handshake. When he tried to pull away, she clung onto his hand tightly. Fighting with the protocols drilled into her head, she muttered, "There's been something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What?" he asked leaning closer.

She squeezed his hand tighter, "You've spent your free time keeping me company these past few months and I wanted to…"

"Shepard!" a voice called out.

Nevada quickly turned around and released the Lieutenant's hand. Her stance tensed the moment she saw Lieutenant Commander Kaidan Alenko walking her way. "Kaidan?"

The Admiral intercepted the newly appointed Spectre, "Lieutenant Commander, how'd it go in there?"

"I could never tell with them. I'm just waiting for orders now," Kaidan answered, his eyes glued onto the woman trying to avoid him.

When the short woman returned, Anderson walked Shepard out of the room. Nevada did her best to refuse looking at Kaidan as she exited, yet their eyes still met. She sneered at him right before she disappeared.

Noticing the tension between the two Spectres raised some concern for James Vega. He approached Kaidan and asked, "You know the Commander?"

He continued staring at the door, "I used to."

"Will I need to protect her from you too?" he asked, holding back the jealously fueling within.

"I'd like to see you try," he glared back.


	4. Chapter 4: Brewing Trouble

Chapter 4: Brewing Trouble

Nevada Shepard was in disbelief, the Reapers finally hit Earth. All the time she spent dwelling on their arrival still didn't prepare her for their invasion. One by one, their massive structures towered over the cities, wiping out everything in their path. She was going to need an army… one hell of an army… and quickly. The longer she took, the more lives were lost to those machines.

The moment she escaped, it was back to work for the reappointed Commander. She was back where she belonged… commanding on the Systems Alliance's stealth starship. Pacing down the halls of the updated SR-2, she enjoyed the comforting hum of the Normandy's engines. It helped dull out the visions scarred from departing Earth. Leaving Anderson behind at Alliance Command and watching the boy she tried to save get blown up in a Kodiak attempting to escape… both weighing heavily on her mind.

Trying to avert her uneasy conscious, she discussed her plans with Major Kaidan Alenko, "We're going to need all the help we can get. We should head to the Citadel and attempt to get in contact with the Council. Hopefully they'll listen to us now."

"They better," he agreed, "There's no way they can avoid this problem."

"Afterwards, we should aim to recruit all the major species - asaris, krogans, quarians, turians, and salarians… one by one we need to them to join our fight."

"Sounds good, Commander."

"Let's hope this works. A lot of lives are depending on us and the longer we stand around doing nothing, the worse things become," she sighed deeply, feeling the pressure.

"I believe in you. If anyone can pull this off, it's you Shepard."

"Thanks, Major, but believing and achieving are two entirely different things."

"I know that, I'm simply trying to compliment you."

"I don't need your compliments," she hissed, "Stick to your duty, officer."

Kaidan was taken aback by Nevada's abrupt response. It had been a couple of years since he'd been under her command and he had some adjusting to do. He didn't remember her being so strict when they went after Saren… but the stakes were much higher now. The stress of the war may have affected the Commander but he couldn't help feeling like she was brushing him off for an entirely different reason, "Would you mind if I ask you a question?"

"What is it, Kaidan?"

"Are you and Lieutenant Jam-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Shepard sharply advised him, "You better not finish that sentence."

"It seems there is something going on between the two of you."

"He was my guard on Earth, Kaidan."

"Seems like more to me."

"Then you are mistaken. There is nothing between us. You know how dead-set I am about following protocol. I am his commanding officer and he'll obey every order I give… just like you did back on the SR-1."

"What about the stories I'm hearing about you two spending a lot of time together?"

"I was bored and needed the company. You could have stopped by but you didn't even visit me once… we just 'bumped' into each other while I was heading to my hearing. James made an effort to… wait," she paused before coming to the conclusion, "You're jealous of him!"

"No! I'm significantly better in every way, so I have nothing to be jealous of."

"I doubt that," she muttered under her breath.

"I just… I don't want to see you getting your heart broken by that ape," he snarled.

"Excuse me, Major. That ape is your fellow crewmember and a worthy addition to this team. I don't need you to get your nose into my personal affairs as well as think for even one second that you can control my actions. You are treading awfully close on my toes and seem to be forgetting who the Commander here is," she barked through gritted teeth.

Alenko backed away, stating the obvious, "I have a feeling we're getting off to a rough start."

"You don't say?" she growled.

"I'm sorry if I haven't been there for you recently, Shepard."

"I don't need your apologies."

"You don't want any compliments… or apologies… what am left with?"

"All I require from you is your ability as a soldier. Proving yourself on the battlefield has always been my standpoint. You should know this by now, Kaidan."

"I can do that. It's just… back then, you were more understanding… more approachable."

"My door is still open to anyone," she sighed, taking his remarks into consideration, "I guess I am being a little rougher than usual. All this stress from the current events is really starting to tug at my heartstrings."

"It's understandable. You were given an impossible task with limited resources. You look like you could use a comforting hug. Would you mind if I gave you one?"

"Actually, I would mind," Nevada snapped.

"Come on, Shepard, we have a long road ahead of us. I'm trying to make it easier on us and lessen the hostility between us. So what do you say? Let's hug and start over."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine."

Kaidan opened his arms and wrapped them around the Commander. She was hesitant at first, feeling apprehensive about how close her old crewmate was. Her tense muscles slowly loosened the more the Major whispered reassuring statements in her ear. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulders, welcoming his affection. His fingers ran through her long flowing hair and rubbed against the back of her neck.

As she reopened her eyes, she noticed Lieutenant James Vega standing in the corner of the room. Nevada immediately pushed Kaidan away, forcing him to stumble backwards. Her embarrassment of being caught in the Major's arms reflected in the bright pink flushing on her cheeks.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" she asked, trying to brush off the mental residue of Kaidan's hug.

"I was instructed to bring this datapad to you, it contains the information you requested," James answered as he saluted the two commanding officers.

She took the datapad and quickly scrolled through the pages, "Thank you, James. I need to share this with Joker. I'll be right back."

"Do what you need to do, Shepard," Kaidan reassured.

The two Alliance marines carefully watched the Commander walk away, waiting until she was out of their sight to turn their glares against each other. Their dangerous gazes silently waited for the boiling point to break… studying their opponent for any flaw and weighing their strengths. They both cared deeply for Shepard and wanted her to succeed above anything else. But their hidden intentions are what tore them apart… they both desired her emotionally, physically, sexually.

Alenko was the first to break their silence, "What were you thinking barging in here?"

"I had my orders. What were you doing with your hands on her?" James shot back.

"I was giving her a hug… something you couldn't do with those logs you call arms."

"Better than those unstable L2's you have lurking inside you."

"What's your problem?"

"You… I knew you were going to be trouble from the start, chico. My warning still stands. I will do everything I need to protect Lola."

"Lola? How dare you call her that! She's a damned legend so address her by her name. Nevada… Nevada Shepard."

"Really, Major? Do you expect me to be estúpido? I guess I did know that," James sarcastically added.

Kaidan blew off his Spanish words, "Honestly, how did you come up with Lola?"

"That's the nickname I gave her back at the Detention Center."

"And she knows about it?"

"Yes."

"And she is okay with it?"

"She was the one who agreed to it."

"I find that hard to believe," he scoffed.

Vega leaned closer and snarled, "You're just jealous."

"You look like the one who's jealous… after all I just got closer to her than you ever did," Kaidan smirked, "And from now on, I'm going to become a thorn in your side, Lieutenant. I will continue my advances towards Shepard."

"I'd like to see you try," he stood tall, towering over Kaidan. Flexing the toned muscles on his chest, his tight shirt showcased the strength hidden underneath. All the training and work out sessions paid off… proving he was a worthy soldier and a threatening opponent.

Feeling overwhelmed, Alenko commanded, "Stand down, that's an order!"

"I don't have to listen to you. You are breaching my primary objective."

"But I am your commanding officer!"

"Admiral Anderson and Commander Shepard are the only ones I take orders from. My orders are to protect Shepard… including from people like you," James pointed out on the verge of snapping.

"There's nothing you can do to keep her away from me."

Before the Major could threaten his objective further, Lieutenant Vega took charge. In one suppressed hit, he slugged Kaidan directly in the face. His hand meeting head on with his nose.

Backing away with his hand covering his nose, Alenko noticed a few drops of blood dripping. Shocked, he screamed, "You just assaulted a higher ranking officer!"

James shrugged, "Consider it a warning. I could have easily hit you harder."

"You'll pay for this!"

"I'll be the judge of that," a familiar voice beaconed from the opposite side of the room.

The two Alliance marines froze, reluctant to turn towards the Commander. They had no idea how much she witnessed. She came closer with her arms crossed, her brown eyes glaring at the insubordinate soldiers. She shook her head in disgust.

"I cannot leave you two alone for a few minutes… this is going to make my life very difficult," she rubbed the temples of her forehead.

Immediately Kaidan spoke up, "Commander, you should detain the Lieutenant in the hold for assaulting a higher ranked officer."

She turned her attention towards the burly man, "James?"

"I was just keeping my promise, Shepard," he answered.

She rolled her eyes, sighing, "Kaidan, your request is overruled."

"But Shepard," the Major pleaded.

Ignoring him, she continued her bashing, "James, even if Anderson gave you your orders, I want you to help keep the peace aboard this ship… and not cause any more problems."

"Understood, Commander," the Lieutenant agreed, "Even if he started it…"

"I don't care who started it!" Nevada's glare darted between the two grown men. Throwing up her arms and drilling, "Come on guys! I'm not running a day-care here! The both of you better get back to work or you'll see what happens when you get me upset."

As Shepard stomped out of the room, grumbling under her breath, the two Alliance soldiers stared at each other. It was either they continue their fighting behind closed doors and hope they don't get caught during their quarrels or grin and bear it for the Commander… all the while competing for her affection. Without saying a word to each other, they both knew which option was chosen… Let the better man win.


	5. Chapter 5: Checkmate

Chapter (undecided) – Checkmate

While traveling from one solar system to another, Lieutenant James Vega came to the conclusion that this would be the opportune moment to approach the Commander. He had questions brewing about the recent mission Nevada Shepard embarked on with her fellow Alliance officer. Although, it was hardly about the mission… it was about their interactions.

The way Major Alenko idolized Shepard was becoming a nuisance and was causing the rivalry between them to brew. James didn't know how much longer he would be able to control his urges to settle things between them once and for all. The only thing holding him back was his devotion to the Commander. He wanted nothing more than to protect her but if she refused it… if she desired something else… then he would concede.

Upon entering her private quarters, James caught glimpse of the heroic soldier. He wandered further inside and quietly watched as Shepard casually paced around her room. Even with her attention being detained by the datapad resting in her soft hands, each step she took perfectly navigated around the obstacles on the floor.

"Commander," James saluted, breaking her concentration.

Nevada peered over to her guest and a hint of excitement could be heard in her tone, "Lieutenant, are you here to play a round of chess with me?"

"Not today, I'm sorry."

"You're no fun," she pouted, tossing the datapad onto the table in front of her, barely missing the chess set inattentively waiting. She took a seat in front of the playing board and danced her fingertips over the tops of the pieces. Her gaze bounced between the seat across the table and the Lieutenant standing closeby, suggesting his invitation.

"Fine," he ceded, grudgingly forcing himself into the empty chair, "I could never understand your fascination with chess."

Feeling accomplished in convincing her fellow marine to play her favorite game, she moved her pawn forward, "And I could never understand how you like Cerveza."

"And you and your brandy?"

"What? Dr. Chakwas got me hooked on it."

"You seem so well-reformed compared to me, Commander," he commented, moving his pawn to meet hers, "You need to come hang out with the grunts of the crew more often… play a few rounds of poker with us… so maybe I could finally win a game against you."

"Maybe I will," she smiled as she directed her next piece, "But knowing my luck, I'll clean you out."

Vega let a smirk creep onto his lips, "Only if I let you win."

She paused, with her white bishop dangling in her fingers, contemplating her next move, "Will you let me?"

"You'll have to play and find out," he teased, taking out one of her pieces, "But really, do you know how silly this makes me look?"

"What? Is big Mr. Vega afraid of what the other crewmembers think?" Shepard taunted, "It never stopped you from playing against me in the Detention Center."

"Things were different then."

"Not that I recall. I seem to remember a certain someone coming in on their days off to keep me company."

"Even so, you never explained to me why you love this game so much."

"Well, the reason I like it so much is because of the similarities it shares with my position as a Commander. Every battle requires strategy and the ability to outthink your opponent. Take this war for example…" She grabbed the white queen from the board and while using it as a visual, explained, "I am the queen who can move as many spaces as she wants in any direction. My goal is to protect the king from checkmate, in other words protect Earth against the Reapers. I need to use my fellow army to place the Reapers into a position that will guarantee our win. Force them into a corner that they cannot escape… force them into checkmate."

"And what if she fails?"

"In this game… we lose the war and our world is lost," Shepard stared quietly at the queen before placing it back on the board.

"Then someone needs to step up and protect the queen," he suggested as he made his next move.

"What are you intending, Lieutenant?"

"Nothing, Commander. Just looking out for the Alliance's best hope to win this."

"And…" she started as she castled the rook and king, "There's something more in that sentence, Vega… I know there is."

Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, "Usted nunca deja de sorprenderme."

Nevada stared at the man sitting across from her, curiously thinking about the possible inquiries he said in his foreign tongue, "No fair, you know I don't speak Spanish."

"Maybe you should learn," he gloated.

"Or I could take a stab at what you said… maybe you're wondering if there is someone already protecting the queen?"

"Possibly," he grabbed the black knight and held it idly over the board, "What about Major Alenko?"

"What about him?" she scoffed, holding back her laughter as she hunched over the playing board.

"He talks about you quite a bit."

"That's all he ever does, ever since the beginning… I guess some things never change," Nev shook her head causing some of her long brown hair to cover her face, "When I was detained at Alliance Headquarters, I welcomed anyone who visited me, especially you. Now that my title has been reinstated, it feels like I need to tighten my open door policy since the Major considers 'open door' as another word for 'available.' I have enough with trying to get everyone working together, the last thing I need is someone hounding me for intimacy."

With one smooth movement, she ran her hand through her hair and placed every disobedient strand back into their picturesque position. The Lieutenant could no longer hide his hungry gaze feeding off of her flawless disposition. She was the ideal soldier… she had experience, intelligence, wits, and was easy on the eyes. If someone ever judged a person on looks alone, they would never imagine her to be one of the fiercest forces in the universe.

Her sigh broke his devoted attention, "But I should expect this from Kaidan… he's been trying to break protocol for quite some time now."

Afraid of the answer awaiting him, James hesitantly asked, "What's stopping you?"

"I'm only following protocol," she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, "I'm a Commander. I have a title that demands discipline and determination. If I start bending and breaking the standards set for me, then what kind of expectations would I set for my crew?"

"I see…" he leisurely commented but the beaten tone in his voice expressed his hidden desires.

Studying his reactions carefully, Nevada continued, "Even if I did allow fraternization, it wouldn't be with Kaidan. Hell, he's not the only one to try either. There was also Armory Officer Jacob Taylor and a few others from my crew who attempted at least once to bunk the most eligible bachlorette in Citadel space… I shot them all down though."

Hearing her talk about the others invoked his jealousy and piqued his curiosity, "If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"

"Are you trying to get personal with me, Lieutenant?"

"No, just having a conversation with you. Like how we used to back in Alliance Command."

"I guess there's no harm in discussing this," she shifted forward, "You _really _want to know why I didn't give anyone the time of day?"

"Yes. Apart from protocol, of course."

"Well… plain and simply, I didn't find myself to be attracted to them enough to break regulations. Come to think of it, I didn't find anyone worthy. I was too busy fighting and I will be until the end of this war. I didn't have the time to find someone so I guess I will have to wait until this is all over…"

"You'll always have me, Shepard."

She stared at him, evaluating his physical attributes. Her sparkling eyes dazzled at his muscular definitions. Reminiscing on the days they spent together at Alliance Command, she recollected how the Lieutenant morphed in front of her eyes. Each time he guarded her, she noticed a visual progress from his extensive training and a change in his attitude. Still bitter from the events that happened prior to their first meeting on Omega, he began opening up to her and she noticed a special bond between them grow.

Memories of a night they shared shortly before the Reaper invasion popped into her busy mind. Vega snuck in a bottle of tequila and shared it with the detained prisoner. She met him shot for shot, persistent to out-drink the tough marine. Unfortunately it came to a draw but she remembered him mentioning a promise he made to Admiral Anderson… to protect the most valuable asset the Alliance could ever have.

The Commander placed another piece on the board forward and said, "Thank you, James. I appreciate it. Hopefully I can express my gratitude for all the things you've done for me one of these days."

"Just join us for a round of poker one of these nights… And if you ever need me to, I would be more than happy to put the Major in his place."

"You already are… just by sitting there."

"You're making this difficult for me… having to choose Cervaza over you."

"I know. I am a mean and horrible Commander."

Eying the remaining pawns, Vega carefully selected his bishop and took one of them out, "Actually, Shepard, there is something I would like to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked, quickly avenging her piece.

"Do you remember our conversation before you met with the Defense Committee? After I wished you good luck, you mentioned there was something you wanted to tell me."

"You have quite the memory," she smiled, judging his next move.

"Only when it comes to y…" he stopped mid-sentence, catching his confession from jumping off his tongue. "I," clearing his throat and trying to reclaim the words that escaped, "I was curious to know what you wanted to say."

Nevada directed her attention away from the static white army to observe the hulky man sitting across from her nervously try to keep his composure. It was amusing to see him finally show some signs of his tender heart around her, especially without the influence of alcohol. Even more entertaining was the piece of information he so dearly held onto.

Using her freshly acquired knowledge of this weak spot, she leaned forward and rested her elbows delicately on the edge of the table. Her slight squirming and suggestive facial expressions encouraged the Lieutenant to ponder deeper about her answer. Every breath living her lips seduced him… every curl of her hair invoked his appetite. She was doing everything within her power to tantalize him, making the pawns beneath his fingers vibrate in anticipation. His heart pounded rapidly against his chest, eagerly waiting for her reply… wondering to see if she would finally say it…

Her gentle voice slowly resonated, "I wanted to tell you how I was beginning to f…"

"Commander, we're nearing Sur'Kesh," Joker's voice beaconed from the intercom.

"Got it, Joker, on my way," she replied. Without a second thought, she stood up and left the table.

As she began walking towards the elevator, Vega turned in his chair and called out to her, "Wait, Shepard… what were you going to say?"

"Maybe next time," she winked, "The queen has been moved."

Feeling his emotions racing wildly like adrenaline pumping through his veins, he didn't know how to react. He needed resolution… he yearned to know the answer to the question she was so successfully avoiding. Waiting for any bone to be thrown, his body tensed when he noticed Shepard stopped at the entrance of the elevator.

"And James," she leaned against the doorway, staring back at the timid Lieutenant. Her vibrant brown eyes twinkled in the ambient lighting of the ship, piercing through his tough mortal coil. A wicked grin curled on the Commander's face, teasing the marine anxiously seated in her quarters. "Checkmate."


	6. Chapter 6: Arrogance Begets Admittance

Chapter 6 –Arrogance Begets Admittance

The echoes of gunfire drowned the battlefield. Nevada Shepard dashed to cover in a freshly exposed room from a rocket blast. The building was barely standing after the ambush from Cerberus operatives. The pillars were creaking and the walls were crumbling apart but it was her only option. Hunched under the window opening, she signaled Major Alenko and Lieutenant Vega to move forward. She pulled out the M-98 Widow and surveyed the surroundings, counting the remaining operatives.

As she commanded her squadmates to take out the three Cerberus soldiers, she noticed a bright flash through the scope. A rocket soared directly towards her location. Without any hesitation, she ducked down and covered her head. The projectile collided nearly three feet from her position, disintegrating the wall beside her.

"Shepard! Are you alright?" the Lieutenant cried back, dust and falling debris clouded his visibility of the Commander.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was nothing," she responded through her helmet transmitter, "Continue holding your position."

"Are you sure? They kicked up a bunch of debris… I can come back and cover you."

"It's going to take more than some falling rubble to kill me, Vega. All it did was piss me off… and those Cerberus operatives are about to find out what happens when they make me mad."

Kaidan chimed in, "We should still show caution."

She scoffed, "I was dead, Major. I think I know how to handle myself. _They_ should be more cautious when dealing with me."

"Don't you think you're getting a little cocky?" he replied.

"Never. It'll take this whole damn building to fall on me before I start to break."

"I love your attitude, Shepard, because here comes more!" Vega called back, scouting the incoming Cerberus soldiers closing in on their location.

One by one, her enemies fell. Nevada found satisfaction in taking down every one of them with her sniper rifle. The adrenaline raced through her veins as she brought them into her crosshairs and pulled the trigger. Watching them collapse before moving onto the next victim.

The Commander hunched back behind her cover, taking a moment to reload her gun and catch her breath before the next wave of operatives arrived. She noticed the falling chunks of concrete and metal piling up around her feet. The bombardment of bullets and rockets gave the building a severe beating, taking a toll on its structural integrity.

A deafening noise violently pulsed from above her, immediately causing her gut to wrench. Before she could react, the two story building collapsed. The shockwave rumbled the ground and caused her squadmates to lose their footing. When they glanced towards Shepard's hideout, all they could see was a thick cloud of dust. As soon as a clearing opened, only the leftovers of the demolished structure remained.

"Shepard!" Vega screamed as he and Alenko rushed to the debris. They frantically began searching through the rubble for their Commander. Dreading whatever outcome lay concealed under the chaos.

Desperation rang in their cries, "Where is she?" … "Hurry up!" … "Shepard?"

The faint rustling of bricks slowly exposed the hand of a beaten soldier. She slowly crawled her way out, grunting over the jagged pieces and cursing away the heavy steel poles holding her back. Hearing her vulgar exclamations, her two squadmates immediately ran towards her and began removing the bits of debris holding her down. James grabbed Shepard by the shoulders and pulled, releasing her from her concrete grave.

Kneeling beside her, he propped her up in his arms and asked, "Are you okay, Shepard? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine…," her voice stuttered before passing out.

"Is she okay?" Kaidan desperately asked, kneeling beside his Commander.

James carefully removed her helmet and handed it to the Major. As he began examining Shepard, "She's still breathing but her pulse is heightened. Her body must be in shock. I'm also noticing some blood dripping from her forehead… I don't know what from."

Kaidan surveyed the helmet and discovered a sizable dent, "This appears to be the culprit. My guess is she suffered some sort of blunt-force trauma when the building collapsed."

"We need to get her back to the Normandy and quick," James ordered, taking Shepard into his arms, "I'll carry her."

"Why do you get to carry her?" Kaidan retaliated, "Let me take her!"

"We don't have the time to fight over this! Right now we need to focus on getting the Commander to safety. I have the strength to carry her along with all her armor and weapons. But I'll be defenseless so I need you to use your abilities to create a path back to the ship. If we work together, she'll make it back safely… and if it means that much to you, I'll tell her that you carried her back."

"She'll never believe it. How about you…"

"No offense, Major, but we're wasting time here," James interrupted, "Let's get her to safety first and then we can discuss the details."

Kaidan nodded and began clearing the area ahead.

"Hey Shepard, I brought you some eggs and salsa. Not as good as my abuela's but I thought you could use a nice meal…" James Vega announced walking into Shepard's quarters.

Instead of finding his Commander, he noticed a path of destruction. Her belongings were scattered across the room, shards of glass and scraps of metal littered the floor. Looking vaguely similar to the battlefield they nearly escaped.

On the table he noticed the white queen and white knight sitting next to each other… but the board was gone. He surveyed the floor and came across a pile of broken bits and pieces, coming to the conclusion that it was all that remained of her beloved chessboard.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry… I could use a bottle of tequila though," she strode into his vision, avoiding eye-contact and concealing the right side of her face.

He set down the plate of food and suggested, "I could get some."

"Don't worry about it. It wouldn't matter… the damage has already been done," she shuffled her boots through the broken shards of glass.

"What happened?" Vega asked.

"Just an outburst of frustration, I'll get over it," she grinned through gritted teeth, attempting to falsely reassure the Lieutenant.

"Is that why your chessboard deserved to die?"

"It was in my way…" she pushed her knee against the table, trying to validate her radical actions, "And I wasn't completely out of my mind, I did save two pieces."

"I understand saving the queen… but why the knight?"

She immediately looked away, "There's no reason."

"Shepard, I know there's more to this… why not just tell me?"

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" she shunned, "I let my cockiness get the better of me. I got sloppy. I played with fire and got burned… and it nearly cost me. So yeah, I'm a little upset."

"First off, Commander, you aren't cocky… you are confident. And we will need that confidence if we're going to have any chance in this war. No one could predict that building collapsing."

"I could… Cerberus is bound and determined to kill me. I would say using a building one hell of a weapon," she sneered, lightly grazing her fingers over the gauze covering her skull fracture.

"I must admit, Shepard. When I heard the stories of your near-deaths, I found them a bit impossible to believe. Now that I've gotten the chance to serve under you, I believe every one of them. You are one hell of a woman."

"What can I say? Lady Luck must have decided to stick around after my resurrection otherwise I would have been dead a long time ago. Must make it difficult for you…"

Interrupting his commanding officer, he pointed out, "Difficult? I knew protecting you was going to be no easy task. But I would never give up on my promise, you're too important for me to give up."

"I don't need your protection, Lieutenant. I'm quite capable of handling things… and myself."

James crossed his arms, covering his clenched fists, "And what about today? You expect me to believe that you would have crawled out of the rubble and walked the long haul back to the Normandy all by yourself?"

"Today was an exception! If I didn't let my arrogance get the better of me, none of this would have happened!" Nevada scowled, her eyes finally meeting his. The gentle golden brown eyes she typically greeted him with was no where to be found. They were replaced with the red glow of robotic pupils. A glowing scar veined down the right side of her face, burning brightly as her anger peaked.

Shocked, the Lieutenant questioned, "Holy shit, Commander! What is wrong with your eyes? And your face?"

"Oh," ashamed of her scars, she averted her gaze, "this is the first time you've seen me like this… well… this is the burden I carry from my resurrection. Anytime I get angry, I start… glowing. Lately it's been happening more and more."

"How come I've never seen this before?"

"There's a scar modification machine in the medical bay," she nervously rubbed the back of her neck, "I use it every time they start coming though."

"What about when you were detained at Alliance Command? How did you hide them then?"

Shepard looked at him, her burning eyes on the verge of breaking, "I had someone to help keep me in line. If it wasn't for you, I'd be nothing but a war machine. You made me feel human again… instead of some defective abomination."

James took a moment to grasp her confession.

"But now you see the real me, what really hides behind this flesh… and again, I'm defective," she hung her head, angrily biting her lip. Striding over to the bare wall, she punched her knuckles directly into the steel siding and left a large dent. Her hand had a fresh gash but didn't bleed. Instead the red glow burned brightly through the opening. She stared at her hand, "Maybe you should go."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because I want to head back to the med-bay and I would rather do that by myself."

"At least take Garrus with you."

Shepard raised her eyebrow, confused, "Why?"

"You have something onboard that heals scars and you didn't even tell him. I think you owe him a stab at that machine," he joked, slowly walking up to the Commander.

"Yeah, I know… I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"Hardly," he smiled, taking her beaten hand into his. The warmth radiating from her exposed cut burned against his skin.

"Don't," pulling her hand away and shamefully covering her scar, "I've had enough for today. I don't need another thing standing in my way."

"What if I want to stand in your way?"

"Then that would depend on your reason, Lieutenant."

"There's no reason," he stood directly in front of Nevada, taking her hand and guiding her closer, "Sound familiar?"

"Touché," she drew her attention towards the chessboard and her two remaining pieces, knowing he was merely repeating her excuse. Without giving him any resistance, she crept nearer and breathed in his sweet scent. His welcoming stance calmed her nerves and left her craving more. The softness of his skin against hers fueled her aching heart, reviving the playfulness, "Except I can order you to tell me."

"You can… but what if I decide to be defiant?"

"Then I would have to subdue you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Are you questioning my abilities?"

"No… merely turning the tables," he growled, leaning closer towards Nev's lips, his nose barely brushing against hers, "You cannot expect to tease me without thinking I'm going to ask for something in return."

"Yes I can. I know what I'm capable of… including tugging on your heartstrings," Shepard guided her hand up his muscular chest and around his neck, "The only way I would be at your mercy is if those damned shackles were involved."

"That can be arranged."

"So you think you can tame me?"

"Under the right circumstances…"

"You know I would never break protocol."

"Teasing me like this should also be forbidden."

"But it's not," a wicked grin appeared, "So I can do this all I want."

"So _you_ think," he whispered. Realizing he needed to play by her rules, James placed his hand on the lower of her back and directed her body closer. Nevada's pulse pounded through her fingertips, fluttering rapidly with every one of his touches. Grazing the tip of his nose against hers, his lips danced lightly against hers. "Lola," his soft voice resonated, sending chills down her spine.

A slight smile curled onto her face, "It has been awhile since I've heard you call me that. I thought you forgot…"

"I could never forget anything about you."

"You certainly have a gift, Mr. Vega," her voice purred, "You know how to calm this savage beast. I'm intrigued… what other talents do you possess?"

"Just give me the chance and I'll show you," he whispered, tracing the curves of her cheek with his nose. Carefully teasing her lips with his as her breathing became heavier. Waiting to see if she would take the final leap… her eyes slowly closed… her lips nearing his… was this it?

"Hey Commander," the helmsman of the Normandy beaconed over the intercom.

With a violent bolt back into reality, Nevada stepped back and took a deep breath, "What is it, Joker? Is it something important or are you just skillfully timing your interruptions again?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," his sarcasm could be heard loudly through the speakers, "But Major Alenko has been requesting your presence. Won't shut up about it either."

"Understood, I'm on my way," she ran her hand through her hair and stormed out of her room, leaving the anxious Lieutenant in her wake.

Vega's sigh got interrupted by the Normandy's pilot chiming in, "You nearly had her there."

"So you _were_ watching," he cocked his head at the intercom.

"No… just listening."

"You needed me?" Nevada asked upon stepping into Kaidan's location.

He was sitting down in his chair, heavy in his thoughts. As soon as he noticed his visitor, he stood up, "Hey Shepard, I wanted to see how you were doing since we got back."

"I was doing fine. In fact I was getting a great deal of venting done," she noted, staring at her knuckles. "Hopefully my well-being isn't why you dragged me down here."

"Am I not allowed to be concerned?"

"No," she sternly shot at him, "If that's all then I should go."

Before she reached the doorframe, Kaidan asked, "Commander, are you avoiding me?"

She stopped in her tracks and looked back, "No, I've been very busy."

"It feels like you have been distant with me ever since the incident."

"Again, Kaidan, I've been busy. I have a ship to run, I have enemies waiting to die, and a small thing called Earth that needs saving. The last thing I need is to argue with you over something as miniscule as this. So don't mind me being so distant at the moment."

"You've changed, Shepard," he shook his head, "I don't remember you acting like this prior to your death."

"Me? I've changed?" she shot back, "You've changed so much that I'm finding it difficult to believe we used to work together. Whatever happened to the subordinate I had on the SR-1?"

"I don't know… I usually don't act like this. It's been difficult since we left Earth. Especially since… especially since I still haven't heard back from my dad," he froze, his mind filled with the concern over his father. He sat down on his chair and hung his head, tying to hide the tears forming in his tired eyes.

Nevada's heart sank. She immediately felt bad for her attitude towards the Major. She knew the pain he was going through all too well. She took a seat next to him and consoled him, "I'm sorry to hear that Kaidan. I know it's difficult… I still haven't heard back from my mother on the Kilimanjaro. We can only hope that they made it."

He sat there quietly with his eyes closed.

Shepard knew she was being harsh on him before, coming to terms that maybe it was uncalled for. The stress of having to save the world was a heavy burden… and it was taking a toll on everyone.

"I know things have been rough between us lately…" she tried apologizing but couldn't find the words,

"They have been… not knowing if my dad is alright is causing me to be a bit on edge. Especially on that day… since we were rushed off Earth…"

"Tempers were pretty high that day. I know I was irritable."

"Just a bit," he held up his fingers to measure out an inch.

"You know me, I have a problem with stepping on toes… especially when they are standing in my way," she smiled. All she could think about was her recent encounter with the Lieutenant.

"You don't need to step on anyone's toes… you have that guard dog now."

"You know very well that I could take you down without even trying. I never asked James to protect me… I am quite capable of handling things myself."

"He seemed eager to stand beside you every waking moment."

"He's only keeping to the promise he made to Anderson."

"There seems to be more…" he started but noticed the red glare shooting from Nevada's eyes, "I'll stop."

"Good. I'm hoping the two of you put your differences aside… and soon. I cannot handle another quarrel happening on my ship."

"Understood, Commander. I will do my best to keep things peaceful for you," Kaidan nodded.

"Thank you."

"And… we know this war is going to have us all on edge so if you ever need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me."

"I appreciate the offer… as long as you know where your boundaries are," she glared.

"I know, Shepard. As much as I wish otherwise, I know I don't have a chance with you. You made that pretty clear back on the SR-1 and yet I still tried. Now all I can hope for is that you find happiness in this messed up world."

"One day I will…"

Kaidan stared at his commanding officer, curiously wondering, "Do you like him?"

"What?"

"Do you like the Lieutenant?"

She hinted, "Just a bit."

"Does he make you happy?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a smile, "You're not going to cause any problems are you?"

"No, I always wished that you were going to choose me and I will continue to hold onto that dream but I will not interfere. I've made a fool of myself already, can't afford to do that again, especially over another woman."

"Oh yeah, that's right, Commander Vyrnnus."

He nodded, ashamed of his past baring its teeth, "I've been so hesitant about my abilities since then and even more so now. I snapped once already, I fear it will happen again."

"You won't. Not under command at least," she nudged him playfully.

"Thanks for believing in me, Shepard."

"Anytime."

"Just a thought… and I can't believe I'm going to suggest this…" Kaidan paused hesitantly, "but maybe you shouldn't wait until it's too late."

"What do you mean?"

"Our futures are bleak… all we have is right now. You should make the most of it while you can."

"Good point."

"I like it when we're not jumping down each other's throats," Kaidan nudged the Commander.

"It's a nice change of pace," she smiled, nudging back.


	7. Chapter 7: Pieces

Chapter 7 – Pieces

"Maybe Kaidan is right, maybe I need to make the most of things while I still can," Shepard muttered under her breath, waiting for the elevator so she could return to her quarters. "No. Protocol comes first. Duty before personal engagements… that's how it has been and how it must continue."

The elevator opened and she stepped in, slapping the button to her level. She leaned against the corner and crossed her arms, speculating, "But time is short… the world is at war… maybe I can bend the rules a little… I think… I think he's getting to me."

Without a second thought, she brought her fingers to her lips. Remembering how James Vega's moist lips brushed against hers and how dangerously close he came to sealing their distance. She could still feel the imprint of his large hands warming her lower back, teasing her flesh with their embrace. Her senses heightened as the opening door shot a blast of air, vividly reminding her of the way his breath felt against her bare skin.

"He _is _getting to me," her voice growled, storming out of the elevator to leave her ghostly visions behind.

Before opening the steel entrance of her quarters, Nevada paused and hung her head. She dreaded the mess that lay inside. Her anger was her weakness and the warpath in her room only served as a validation.

But when the door opened, she was stunned. There wasn't any evidence of her prior retaliation. The shards of broken glass… the bits of wooden chunks… the scraps of paper… all gone. The only thing that remained was the dent from her vicious punch. Apart from that, everything seemed like before.

"What? How'd this? Who…" she asked puzzled, "EDI, who cleaned up my quarters?"

The Normandy's AI tuned in, "Lieutenant Vega, Commander. After you went to address Major Alenko's request, he stayed behind to tidy your quarters."

"That was… awfully nice of him…" she mumbled, amazed at his attention to detail.

"The Lieutenant also wanted me to advise you of the dish he left on your desk, requesting you have at least one bite."

She didn't know how to respond to the Lieutenant's act of compassion. Ever since they first met on Omega, he found ways to display his kindness to the Commander. She reminisced all the times he kept her company while she was in confinement, sneaking in tequila on the loneliest nights and playing chess to help soothe her nerves. Even with all his kind acts, Shepard continued playing with his emotions. Pulling on his heartstrings and teasing him with the impossible… she felt ashamed for her false advances.

As she walked towards the dish on her desk, she noticed a large wrapped box on her bed. She took a closer look and discovered a little envelope resting on top of the package. Her heart began racing, pounding harder and harder against her chest the closer she got.

Nevada sat down next to the large box and picked up the envelope. Inside there was a note, reading:

_ Lola,_

_I meant to give this to you earlier but never had the right moment. Since I know how much chess means to you, I figured now would be the opportune time to replace your board. Please don't break this one._

_James_

_P.S. Now you're going to have to win every time._

She propped the gift on her lap and began carefully tearing off the wrapping paper, revealing an unmarked cardboard box. Shepard opened the top and immediately had tears well up in her eyes. There was a custom made chess board inside and each piece was handcrafted to resemble her enemies and her supporters.

On the black side: the rooks were Sovereign and Harbinger, the bishops were Atlas Mechs, the knights were Kai Leng and a Cerberus Commando, the pawns were all the various husks she encountered since Eden Prime, the king was the Illusive Man and the queen was the Cerberus logo.

Nevada picked up the handcrafted king and sneered at it, "He's right… I _have_ to win every time."

On the white side: the rooks were Wrex and Grunt, the bishops were Thane Krios and Liara T'Soni, the knights were James Vega and Garrus Vakarian, the pawns were her other squadmembers and crewmates, the king was the Alliance logo, and the queen…

Shepard pulled out the queen and stared at it with tender eyes. It was her. A little miniature piece of her. She was the queen… and her duty was to protect the Alliance. Nevada marveled at the way James Vega took to heart every detail she explained in one of their previous conversations, reflecting her symbolism perfectly.

"Now I feel horrible," she whispered, staring at her custom chessboard, "All I do is tease him. I lead him on and then push him away the moment it begins impeding on protocol. It's not fair to him… especially with how nice he's been to me all this time."

She picked up the knight resembling the Lieutenant and ran the tip of her finger over its mohawk. Tracing the outline of its facial stubble, she admired how adorable the miniature form looked.

As she gazed at the details in the armor, a smile curled onto her face. Her eyes widened and began twinkling. She held up the knight next to the queen and declared, "I know how I can make up for lost time!"


	8. Chapter 8: Bending Protocol

Chapter 8 – Bending Protocol

With the Normandy safely docked at the Citadel, the crew was taking a brief moment to relax before their next venture. Major Kaidan Alenko joined Lieutenant Steve Cortez, Garrus Vakarian, and Kenneth Donnelly at one of James Vega's infamous card games. The hangar was filled with the stench of hard liquor and the roars of their laughter.

"I would be winning if someone wasn't cheating!" Kaidan leaned back in his chair, throwing down his cards on the table.

James hunched forward and collected his earnings, "No… you're just really bad at this game."

"You're pretty bad, Major," Kenneth added, pouring another glass.

"I give up."

"Oh come on Kaidan," Steve reassured, patting his back, "Vega wiped me clean the first time I played with him. Come to think of it… he still does."

"If you give up now, Gabby and I will make fun of you down in engineering."

"Fine… one more round."

"That's the spirit! This will help," Kenneth topped off Kaidan's drink.

Just as Vega finished dealing the next round, a mysterious echo of footsteps could be heard. Trying to distinguish its whereabouts, they all paused and listened attentively. The closer the noise became the more it became distinguishable, sounding like high heels clanking on the metal floor.

Kaidan began questioning, "Heels? Who on the Normandy wears heels?"

"Maybe it's that lovely Miss Lawson, returning back to the crew," the Irish engineer smirked.

"I doubt it," Garrus inputted, "Her heels never echoed like that… these sound like stiletto heels."

"Wouldn't it be something if it was the Commander," James Vega commented, grinning at the thought.

The table burst into laughter. Kenneth slammed his drink down, shouting, "Yeah! She'll never do it! We have a better chance of seeing Tali out of her enviro-suit than Shepard walking around in heels!"

Without any warning, a soft voice announced, "Gentlemen."

They turned around and all came to a dead silence. Their eyes widened at the unusual sight. Commander Shepard was standing tall in a navy dress with an N7 and Alliance logo stitched into the right sleeve. It had a low cut neck line exposing the top of her cleavage. The bottom was only four inches above her knees and complimented the slender legs leading down to her matching high heels. The way the dress snuggly fit every curve of her body teased the bachelors sitting at the table.

As she cocked her hip to the side and crossed her arms, it became quickly apparent that the players were distracted by her entrance. Garrus's cards slipped through his fingers and drifted facedown onto the table while Kenneth loudly gulped down the liquor sitting in his throat. Kaidan and James stared wide-eyed with their mouths open, waiting for their jaws to unhinge and drop onto the floor.

"Shepard, you look…" Kaidan fumbled his words as he tried to stand up.

"Can it, Major," the Commander playfully smiled at him, "I'm here to request the Lieutenant's assistance." Lieutenant Cortez began standing up but she held up her hand and stopped him, "Sit back down, Steve." Directing her full attention to the mohawked man, she purred his name, "Lieutenant Vega?"

"Shepard?"

"Are you fit for duty?" she raised her eyebrow, leering at the half-emptied glasses on the table.

"Yes."

"Good, I need you cleaned up and ready for departure in 20 minutes."

"Yes, Commander," he stumbled up and saluted, "Ma'am."

"At ease," she glanced at the other crewmates before taking her leave. Their eyes glued onto her as she walked away with a sway in her hip.

"Holy mother almighty," Kenneth panted, "She puts on one hell of a show!"

Garrus shook his head in disbelief, "I didn't even think Shepard would wear a dress after going to Bekenstein with Kasumi."

"I'm glad we didn't bet on it," Cortez added, taking a sip of his liquor.

James dismissed himself from the game and rushed to his bunk, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. The vision of his commanding officer in a dress was vibrantly imprinted on his memories. He never thought she would remember his request from Alliance Command. Realizing this moment was crucial, he quickly prepared for whatever Shepard had planned for him.

The twenty minutes flew by quickly for the Lieutenant. Knowing he was running a little behind, he hurried towards the airlock and begged that Shepard was still waiting. A sigh of relief escaped his lungs when he saw her standing on the docking bay. He quickly brushed his shirt and straightened his mohawk before stepping out of the airlock.

"Reporting for duty, Shepard," he saluted, "I hope this is enough."

Nevada eyed the Lieutenant from head to toe and confirmed, "It'll do."

"What are my orders?"

Before he could react, she wrapped her arm around his and began walking, explaining, "You are escorting your commanding officer to dinner."

"Like a date?"

"Did I say it was a date?"

"No. I'm just… a bit confused."

"Consider this as nothing more than your Commander giving you orders."

"I can do that," he agreed, "So where am I escorting you?"

"A little place my mother told me about. It's a bit of a walk."

"I don't mind, especially with how stun…" he caught himself mid-sentence. Pausing a brief moment before requesting, "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"You look stunning, Shepard."

"I know," she gloated.

"I'm surprised you even remembered this. After all, I'm just a soldier," he admitted.

"Well… I could never forget anything about you," she repeated his words, adding, "And this is the least I could do after all your kind actions."

"So I take it you liked the chess set?"

"I'm all dolled up, aren't I?"

He nodded, his memory capturing the beautiful sight of the woman attached to his arm, "I knew you would look good in a dress… even if it's on the verge of breaking protocol."

"In that case, I guess we should head back so I can change back into my military attire."

"No!" he blurted, his hand instinctively clung onto her wrapped arm in an attempt to prevent her from leaving.

Her lips curled on one side, "Don't worry, James, I won't take my dress off. Not yet at least."

"Yet?" he gulped, hoping she wasn't tugging on his emotions again, "Why are you suddenly disregarding protocol?"

"I'm not… I'm simply bending the rules a little. I believe the end of the world permits me to start being more lenient."

"I may regret saying this but don't get too lenient… otherwise who is going to save the world?"

"As long as I'm alive, the world is not going to end."

"And what if something happens to you?"

"I have you to bring me back to life… Plus this is just for tonight. I haven't had a shore leave since the SR-1 so I deserve one night."

"Then I'll make sure to make it memorable."

"You always do, Lieutenant," she gently nudged her escort and directed him to look forward.

James eyes lit up when he saw their destination - a family-run Latino restaurant. The glow in his face confirmed his overwhelming euphoria. Shepard guided him towards a booth in the corner and pointed out how they were the only diners, explaining how she purchased the establishment for the evening. When the owners visited their table, Vega immediately began chatting with them in their native tongue.

Without consulting with his commanding officer, he ordered arroz con pollo for their meals and a large bottle of tequila. Together they began tackling the tall bottle, pouring shot for shot and recollecting their evening back at the Detention Center of Alliance Command. As soon as the food arrived, he mentioned how much their dinner reminded him of the fond memories he had of home. Rambling about how great his family's cooking was and how he would love to share his cuisine with Nevada.

When their meal ended, the owner bought out a single glass with a white liquid. A single stick of cinnamon stuck out with a mint leaf at the top. He placed the drink in front of Shepard and advised, "Compliments of your Lieutenant."

"What is this?" she asked, examining her glass.

"Dessert."

She shook her head, "I figured that much out. What is this drink, James?"

"Coquito," he slurred with his Spanish accent, "think of it as rum eggnog."

"More alcohol? I already had half of that tequila bottle."

"You deserve a treat."

"You already have given me so much."

"I know… but I can always give you more."

Using the rim of the glass to congeal her words, she muttered under her breath, "Tonight was supposed to be my turn to spoil you, not the other way around. At least he makes things memorable."

"What was that, Commander?"

Her sly grin casually hid her confession, "I was merely relaying how wonderful tonight has been."

"I agree… and it's not over yet," he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

"We've finished our meals, Lieutenant. What makes you think there's more?"

"Give me a chance and I'll show you."

"Just one chance?" Nevada raised her eyebrow and stared into his deep brown eyes. They were hungry for her affection, longing for any sign of her surrender to his advances.

"Yes," he nodded, anxiously waiting for her reply.

"We'll see," she teased. As she leaned back in her chair, she noticed one of the owner's daughters cheerfully walking towards them and goggling at her hulky companion, "Looks like you have an admirer."

Dressed in a light pink dress and only looking about 10 years old, the little girl nervously held her hands behind her back as she asked, "Senor, Papi said you were a nice man. I was wondering… would you dance with me?"

"Lo siento, little senorita, but I'm on duty right now."

She hung her head in disappointment.

"Unless… you can convince my commanding officer…" James suggested, hinting at the lady in the navy dress.

The little girl hopped over and grabbed onto Shepard's hand, pleading, "Please, oh please!"

The Commander rolled her eyes, "Fine."

"Yay!" the little girl squealed, running back to her Lieutenant and tugging on his large hand.

"I'll be right back," he reassured, "Maybe later I can pull you away?"

"We'll see."

"I'll teach you how to dance."

"I know how to dance."

"Shepard, I've seen you dance… it looks like a varren mating dance."

"Varren have a mating dance?"

"They didn't… until you showed them," he joked, grinning as Shepard shot him an appalled look.

Nevada watched idly from her seat, sipping on her dessert. She found the way her Lieutenant towered over the little girl amusing. Everything about him overshadowed her… even her tiny hands disappeared into his. Shepard was about to gaze away when something caught her attention. The way James was looking at the girl reminded her of the same look a father gives their daughter.

Her thoughts began racing with the ideas of her future. When the war finally comes to an end, what will she do? What would fill the void after everything was over? Would she settle down?

One by one she tried to dismiss them. Trying to come to an understanding that her future was already bleak and that anything she planned now would further worsen her untimely demise. Repeatedly reassuring herself that dwelling on it would prove nothing more than a distraction and to keep her mind set on the actions needed to conquer the Reapers… and nothing more.

But her heart disagreed. She knew what she wanted… what she desired… what she needed. She needed a man who would always accept her even after her anger reared her scars, a man to keep her company on the loneliest nights even when she refuses, a man whose very purpose is to protect her even against the worst possible outcomes. The Commander needed her Lieutenant… the queen needed her knight. Even the constant nagging of her ingrained etiquette couldn't relinquish the fact how every one of her pains seemed to vanish the moment his arms wrapped around her.

As James Vega continued dancing with the owner's daughter, Shepard finished the last bit of her drink. Anxiously sitting at the table, her fingers skimmed the rim of her empty glass. The more she stared at him, the more she craved his loving embrace. She impatiently waited for his return…

The Lieutenant kneeled down and whispered something into the little girl's ear. Her big brown eyes locked onto the Commander, jealous of her competition. In a blur, she ran into the kitchen and the music abruptly stopped. The soft hum of another song began playing, an acoustic version of "Europa" by Santana.

Walking up to the lonely woman at the table, James held out his hand and suggested she join him. Without any hesitation, Shepard took hold and followed him onto the dance floor. Turning her to face him, he planted his free hand on her waist and guided her body closer.

His warm eyes glowed when Nevada wrapped her arm around his neck and leaned her chest against his. Resting her cheek over his heart, she closed her eyes and listened to the melody playing. Their bodies shifting slowly, stepping lightly to each forth beat.

"See… I'm not _that_ bad of a dancer," she muttered.

"That's because I know how to lead."

"Are you questioning my abilities as a leader?"

"Only when it comes to dancing, Lola… although…"

She leaned away in protest, glaring at him, "I may be in heels but it won't stop me from kicking your ass."

"I'm only joking with you, Shepard."

"You're lucky I like you."

"Is that all?" he stared at her, aching for a thread of hope.

Shepard brought her hand to the side of his face and traced the frame of his jaw with her fingertips. Her touch influencing him to move closer, stopping when they noses grazed each other. Vega's breathing quickened, his heart pounded against his chest, his mouth eagerly waiting for hers. His ravenous gaze yearned for their distance to shrink even more.

Yet instead of tempting him with her usual tricks, she shut her eyes and purred, "You will get your answer… later tonight… but first, let's finish this dance."

Without saying another word, she returned to the comfort of his chest and left him confounded. He was expecting some sort of tease, some sort of lengthy performance that would lead him on and leave him desperately aching for more. But there was none… All she did was continue pacing with him on the dance floor.

Taking hold of the brief opportunity Nevada provided, James embraced her lovingly in his arms. Breathing in her wonderful scent and wishing the moment would never end. Nuzzling his chin against her hair, he confessed, "Thank you for this night. It means a lot to me, Lola… You mean a lot to me."

"I think we both know it's going to be more than that," she whispered, her ear pressed against his chest. His beating heart lulled her into a comforting trance as he slowly shifted their bodies to the song.


	9. Chapter 9: Breaking Point

Chapter 9 – Breaking Point

"Thank you for escorting me to dinner, Lieutenant," Nevada Shepard smiled as she entered her quarters on the Normandy.

James Vega trailed behind her, curiously wondering why she insisted on his company. She was already being overly considerate, inviting him to a heart-felt meal and adorning herself in a tantalizing dress. Even if it was repayment for his previous deeds, it wouldn't negate the feeling of being imposing.

Leaning against the pillar near her desk, he questioned her intentions. His speculating eyes followed Shepard walk towards her bed, discreetly watching as she set her foot on the edge and unlatched the straps of her stiletto heels. Attempting to cover the suggestive thoughts racing in his mind, he calmly stated, "I should be thanking you. I enjoyed every bit of it. You spoiled me tonight, Shepard."

"It's the least I could do." She stalked barefoot towards her large prey, dangling the strap from her heels off the tip of her finger. Her hips swayed with every step, her golden eyes glowing in hunger. "And… as you mentioned earlier, it's not over yet."

Vega laid his hand on her shoulder and ceased her from advancing further, "Commander, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You keep pulling me in and pushing me away. I can't tell what you want from me."

"I think I'm making my intentions pretty apparent tonight."

"At least that's what you've led me to believe… but I can never tell with you. I have enough trying to cope with the incident on Fehl, the last thing I need is you tugging on my broken pieces. You've teased me long enough, Lola."

"So what are you going to do about it, Lieutenant?" she asked, biting her lower lip as she broke through his lax grip. Tracing a path up his toned chest with her fingers, she purred his name, "James… it's impolite to keep your commanding officer waiting."

He sighed, growling, "Damn it, Shepard. You get under my skin in all the right ways."

"I know…" she gazed deeply into his aching eyes.

"No more tricks. Just tell me what you want from me," he pleaded.

"I want a promise… a promise that you'll be here for me."

The distance between them shrank. Their bodies inched closer and closer, every breath becoming heavier. James slowly wrapped his muscular arms around the Commander, enveloping her. Heaving her firmly against him, he felt her heart beat rapidly against his chest. With their noses barely touching, their mouths restlessly near each other, he pledged, "Shepard, I'm here for you. I'll always be here to protect you."

"The end of the world is in our midst… I don't need protection, I need you… and I don't want," before she could finish, Vega leapt forward and locked their lips. She became victim to his advances, immediately caressing his mouth with hers. Their warm tongues embraced their long awaited meeting, softly massaging their counterpart.

"I don't want to wait anymore…" she whimpered, Short of breath. Her gaping mouth begged for more, anxiously anticipating his next move.

"Good because I wasn't going to hold back," binding their lips together once more.

Shepard navigated her arms around his neck and sunk her fingers into the base of mohawk. Massaging his scalp with her nails and tugging lightly at his hair. Her urges increasingly becoming more and more dominate, forcing him deeper into their kiss. Every molecule within her body was tingling in preparation, waiting to explore what treasures lay hidden underneath their fabric restraints. Suggestively urging her Lieutenant to venture forward, she passionately bit his bottom lip. Upon freeing it, the burning gaze in his eyes yielded his intentions. He wanted more… he wanted her… all of her… but would she permit it?

Her piercing eyes stared at him, wide and undaunted. Fiercely analyzing her options, she proposed, "Bunk here with me tonight, James."

Itching for verification, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Am I sure? This entire time I've never wanted anything more than to be the best Commander I could be, I was going to follow every rule in the book until the bitter end… but then I met you. All I want now is to break every single conduct of behavior just to have this moment between us," she declared, confidently revealing her devotion to her fellow marine, "So yes, I am sure."

Without needing further validation, Vega firmly cupped his hands on her bottom and lifted her up. Shepard's legs instinctively straddled around his waist, squeezing his hips tightly against hers. He thrust her against the pillar near him and began worshiping every inch of her exposed neck. Working up towards her ear, he grazed his teeth and nibbled at her soft skin. Each mark he bit into her flesh was soothed by the caressing embrace of his lips. Nevada threw her head back in bliss… her subtle moans of desire encouraging him to continue.

The more she welcomed Vega's advances, the more her appetite grew. Noticing her clothing getting in the way of satiating her palate, Shepard dismounted from her steed. Taking one step behind the other, she crept towards her bed. Slowly unzipping her dress and seductively teasing her fellow soldier. She revealed inch by tantalizing inch of her desirable flesh… from the curves of her bosom to her luscious midriff, from her supportive waist down her slender legs. Standing in nothing more than her black undergarments, Shepard bit her lip in anticipation as her finger beckoned the beast to approach.

James strode up to her like a starving tiger, waiting to sink his teeth into his meal. Eagerly tearing away his shirt and exposing his toned chest, his muscles flexing as he neared his prey. The moment he was within reach, Nevada tugged on his belt like a leash and heaved his body against hers.

Her golden eyes glowed as she purred, "The bed's a lot harder than it looks."

"Just the way I like it," he breathed, entangling his fingers into her long hair and using it to tilt her head back. Kissing the ridges of her jaw and increasing Shepard's craving for the inevitable.

Attempting to keep her composure, she relayed, "And try to not to lose everything. Those clothes are Marine Corps property."

"Yes, ma'am," his last words barely left as he forced their mouths together.

Their bodies gradually descended down onto her bed, James crawled over Shepard's squirming body. She arched her back and pressed their chests together, ambitiously demanding more attention. To appease the domineering goddess, Vega praised her picturesque torso with his hands. Running the tips of his fingers from her hip to her knee and back again. Playfully pulling down on the trim of her panties and straps of her brassiere, making Nevada's skin quiver in anticipation and tremble under his touch.

His wandering hands latched firmly onto her thighs and guided them farther to allow him access, yearning for the warmth between her legs. The temptation of their joining encouraged the bulge concealed by his pants to grind against her waist. Shepard's aching moans desperately pleaded for more.

About to continue forward, he froze when he gazed into her beautiful eyes. They vibrantly glistened in the dim lighting of her room, piercing right through his very soul. All the teasing they yielded, all the consolation they experienced, all the times they shared, it all lead up to this instance. Everything he wanted was begging for his affection beneath him and he wanted nothing more than to cherish this moment.

Nevada glared at him, "We're not done yet, Lieutenant."

"I know," he smiled, tracing her jaw with his large fingers, "I just wanted to take a moment to admire you. This is…"

"You have fawned over me long enough," she cupped his scarred face in her hands, directing him towards her impatient lips, "Keep going. That is an order."

"Yes Commander," he growled before continuing to take pleasure in lavishing the revered woman.

With their path of destruction scattered around the room as a trophy, her bed lay in shambles. All that remained was the blanket wrapped snugly around their bodies. The worn out Commander was fast asleep, using her arm as a make-shift pillow. The Lieutenant rested in front of her, recovering from their repeated trials of endurance. Staring at her with caring eyes, he affectionately tucked her stray strands of hair behind her ear with a tender smile.

Putting his hand over hers, he felt her fingers immediately latch on. Clasping onto him firmly and refusing to let go. She began muttering a series of intangible sentences. The only bits Vega could comprehend were about an attack in the depths of space… a leaky hose… drifting into a dark slumber… hearing voices in her repressed memories…

Her eyes clenched tightly, twitching rapidly as her dream began strengthening. As she painfully relived the traumatic experience, a single tear snuck out and trailed down her cheek. Pulling the Lieutenant's hand closer to her chest, she begged under her tired breath, "Don't let go… don't ever let go."

"I won't," he leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead, "I promise."

The soft tone of his voice soothed her back into a blissful state of relaxation. Her body curled around their combined hands,

The Lieutenant grinned as he nuzzled his body closer. Shutting his eyes and breathing in her intoxicating scent, an overwhelming sensation pumped through his veins. His heart felt complete… he felt whole. Both of their lives have been shattered in the past, be it from a mission that went horribly wrong or the pains of being resurrected without their consent. In this one moment they shared, every ache was mended by the presence of their fellow marine. Together their broken selves would become whole again.


	10. Chapter 10: Rousing Intentions

Chapter 10 – Rousing Intentions

The Lieutenant was slowly reclaiming his bearings, flexing his arms and stretching the muscles used from the previous night's encounter. As he continued his morning ritual, he tossed around and noticed someone was no longer lying beside him. Propping himself up, he groggily looked for the womanly figure. James quickly discovered his commanding officer sitting at the foot of the bed, wearing nothing more than his grey Special Forces shirt and her black lace panties.

Vega enjoyed the sight of Nevada Shepard in his shirt, especially since it was large enough to droop over her shoulder and reveal the top of her arm. He marveled at the difference in their sizes yet knew he could never base someone on looks alone. Even though she was more than half his size, she still packed a powerful punch and could subdue him without even trying.

"That shirt looks good on you, Commander," he chuckled, rubbing the base of his mohawk.

She didn't budge… she didn't even glance up to acknowledge him. Shepard was hunched over her knees with her attention fixated on the damaged helmet resting in her hands. Her tormented eyes were lost in the memories held inside the broken shell of her old helmet.

The Alliance Marine scooted behind his fellow soldier and felt her tense body stiffen upon his presence. Looking over her shoulder, he could see her troubled gaze reflecting off the helmet's visor. "Something the matter, Lola?"

"It's nothing… nothing to be concerned about," she grumbled.

"I have every right to be concerned," he replied, wrapping his arms around her stomach, "You can fight all that you want but you can't push me away now… especially since I have you."

"Fight?" the word bitterly rolled off her tongue, "All I ever do is fight. Fighting for everyone even when they didn't believe me, risking my life without question… and then dying at the expense of my constant struggle. I died in an attack from the Collectors and was resurrected just so I could fight the Reaper forces. How many people can speak from experience about death?"

"Only you."

"Exactly. Everyone overlooks my death, they expect me to suit up and act like nothing ever happened. Yet I spend every night reliving the painful memory in my dreams… no one cares about the mental turmoil my death left in its wake. It's not easy coping with the thought of being rebuilt, knowing that you were completely reconstructed with hardly anything from your prior existence. But I cannot show them how broken I feel and how scared I am of dying again. I am cursed with experiencing death twice… take my word on this, once was enough," she closed her swollen eyes, the tears welling up as she fought the memories of her final moments.

"Once may be enough but you're forgetting something," the Lieutenant stared into Nevada's aching brown eyes.

"What?"

"This time around, you have me."

Shepard glared at him, confused about his notion.

"Hear me out, Lola," his soothing voice comforted her, "The memories of our past constantly haunt us. Even though mine could never compare to your experience, I spent a lot of sleepless nights remembering the incident on Fehl. By the time Anderson picked me up on Omega, I felt like a lost cause… but then I met you and that's when everything changed. When we were apart, I was nothing more than a broken soldier. But together… my shattered pieces melt together and make me whole again. I am forever in your debt. I just hope I can return the favor."

Nevada leaned back against Vega's muscular chest and allowed her body to loosen up. Feeling his arms gently squeeze around her mid-drift, she whispered, "You already have… you made me feel like a human again."

The toned marine smirked at his accomplishment, "Then that's what I'll keep doing. To me, you will always be _THE_ Commander Shepard. The war hero of the Blitz, the first human Spectre, and the best N7 operative I know. I could learn so much from you."

Catching his subtle hint, Shepard raised her eyebrow, "I have the feeling there's something more…"

"I guess maybe I've got some things on my mind too," he confessed, "I wanted to get your opinion on something."

"What is it regarding?"

"Being an N7…"  
>Shepard paused for a moment, curious about his intentions before proceeding, "Ask away, Lieutenant."<br>"What'd you do when you got asked to join the N7 program? I mean, was it a no-brainer for you or did you think about it before accepting?"

"I'm a soldier, Vega, and I wanted to be the best damn soldier I could be," the tone of her voice reflected her strong commitment to the uniform, "It doesn't get better than N7."

"So I hear."

"You get the best training, best equipment, best assignments…"  
>"And they expect the best in return."<p>

"Yes, they do," she directed her attention back to the object in her hands. Running her fingers over the crack in her broken helmet, the reminder of her undying duty, she questioned, "Why are you asking?"  
>"Well, even all the shit that's going on… somebody, somewhere managed to track me down and forward an N7 commendation. It's dated the same day the Reapers attacked Earth," James shared but his tone sounded conflicted.<br>"You don't sound too thrilled."  
>"Well, aside from the fact that there won't even be an N7 program if we don't win this war, I just… being a soldier's the only thing I've ever been really good at. And not because I try. Hell, I'd've kicked my ass out years ago."<p>

"I'm glad you didn't," she nudged him.

He tightened his arms around her and nuzzled his cheek against her ear, "I'm just not sure if I'm ready to lead again. I don't know if I want that responsibility."  
>"Being a part of the N7 is a big deal, its one hell of a commitment. There's not a single N7 that hasn't sacrificed themselves or their soldiers at some point. I'm living proof of that," she pointed out.<p>

"What do you think I should do? Should I accept it? Assuming there's someone out there to accept it…" his uncertainty was clearly vocalized in his tone.

"It's entirely up to you but it sounds like you already made up your mind. I know you're a damn good soldier, Vega. I'll stand behind whatever you choose but I don't think you should waste this opportunity," confirming her stance on his decision.

"I was hoping you would agree, makes what I'm going to ask next that much easier."

She squinted her eyes, asking, "Make what easier? What do you mean?"

"Well," he took a deep breath, "I was hoping you would be my training officer."  
>She cocked her head to the side, "Excuse me?"<br>"I figure with you as my training officer, how could I fail? Right?

"So not only will I be your commanding officer and your love interest but now I'm going to be your mentor too?" she asked, concerned about the requisition of another task.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Aren't you asking a bit much from me?"

"I would never have asked if I didn't think you were up to the task."

She shook her head, "You do realize that I'm not going to go easy on you. I'm not going to soften your training just because you're sleeping with me."

"You were never easy on me to begin with. I know I can handle whatever you throw at me," James smartly remarked.

"Don't take this lightly, Vega."

"I'm not. And I won't. You might think I don't take things seriously, but when I commit to something... I fully commit. Hell, as soon as we return to the Citadel, I'm going to get a tattoo to celebrate."

"Maybe I'll join you."

"Really? You're getting one too?" the Lieutenant asked, perking up at the thought.

"No. I'm just tagging along to harass you…" a wicked grin crept onto her lips, "and slap your tattoo once it's done."

"You can be so cruel."

"You know you enjoy it."

"Yes, I do," he returned the smile.


	11. Chapter 11: Bittersweet Confessions

Chapter 11 – Bittersweet Confessions

Nevada Shepard leaned up against the walls of the elevator as she proceeded towards the CIC. Contemplating the request she received from Kaidan. The Major asked her to accompany him to lunch on the Citadel. Seemed like a harmless invitation but she couldn't shake the nagging thought that there was something more behind their rendezvous.

As she waltzed out of the elevator, Specialist Traynor approached the Commander with a new message, "Shepard, I received a notice from your Lieutenant."

"What does he want?"

"He wanted to know if you'll be joining him for his tattoo session."

She ran her fingers through her long brown hair, scratching her scalp in distress. She completely forgot that he was getting the N7 logo inked today. "Please advise Mr. Vega that I will be in attendance after I grab some lunch."

"Understood, Commander. Did you want me to avoid mentioning who will be accompanying you?"

Nevada cocked her head to the side and sneered, "Do you really have to ask?"

"I am merely being thorough, ma'am. Although, if you don't mind me asking, why are you having lunch with the Major when you know it'll create issues with the Lieutenant?"

"Kaidan is still a member of the crew and I aim to make everyone happy. If having lunch with him and hearing what he has to say gives him a moment of peace, then there is no question about me doing this. He's going through a lot right now, we all are… speaking of that, you need to loosen up. Go enjoy yourself, Samantha. While you still can," the Commander advised, knowing full heartedly that any day could be their last.

"I'll try to," the timid communications officer mentioned, watching as Shepard began retreating towards the front of the ship.

Nevada made her way through the security checkpoint on Bay 24 and began heading to Apollo's Café at the Presidium Commons. As she stepped down the stairs to the main area, she could see Kaidan already waiting at one of the tables. Her chest tensed up, it became difficult to breath, and - for the first time ever - she felt hesitant about meeting up with one of her fellow squadmates. No matter how much she fought to keep it at bay, the nagging thought saying there was something more behind this kept repeating itself over and over…

When the Major caught the defining shadow of his commanding officer creeping up on him, he immediately stood up and pulled out a chair for her. Shepard situated herself and began looking over the menu while carefully shooting glances at her subordinate. She was determined to study his actions and figure out what was _really_ going on.

"Surprised this place can still get supplies for a menu like this," Kaidan smiled, fumbling with the menu in front of him.  
>"Maybe it's better if we don't ask how..." she replied, coming across an odd appetizer on the list that she couldn't pronounce, "or where."<br>The man sitting beside her laughed, "I'm glad we're taking the time to do this. I could use a sanity check."  
>"Things have been pretty crazy," Shepard agreed, noticing an asari waitress coming up to their table. She asked what they wanted - Kaidan ordered a sandwich while Nevada ordered what sounded like some sort of pasta dish… at least she hoped it was pasta.<p>

As soon as the waitress went to turn in their order, Kaidan continued their conversation, "You know, my life flashed in front of my eyes a few times - and there weren't enough moments like this, with people I care about."  
>"How are you feeling these days?"<br>"Feeling up to whatever the Reapers throw at me."

"That's the spirit," she praised.

Fumbling with his hands, he gazed down at the table and admitted, "And grateful that I convinced you to sit down for half a second and relax."  
>"Yeah, I think it's a good time for us to have a heart-to-heart."<br>"Got to seize the moments when we can, right?" he asked, bringing his deep eyes to meet hers.  
>"We have way too much past... I want to make sure we're okay."<br>"Me, too."

Nevada pulled her hair behind her ear, remembering, "Speaking of… I noticed you talking to Udina the other day, what's up?

"You saw that, did you? Well," the Alliance soldier rubbed his neck anxiously, "he's offered to make me a Spectre."  
>"A Spectre?" she asked, a bit surprised that Udina was handing out another Spectre spot when there were more prying matters at hand. She didn't let her doubt in the Counselor diminish congratulating the man beside her, "That's great, I'm happy for you."<br>"It's a big honor... a huge responsibility. Only the second human Spectre. It'll be hard to measure up to you," he nudged her playfully. "Although, it seems small compared to what's going on. Udina thinks they might have a pretty big ceremony, even with the war."  
>"Spectre Kaidan Alenko…" she let the words roll off her tongue, "Doesn't surprise me. You're a fine soldier with an impressive record. You're perfect for the job. I honestly cannot think of a more deserving candidate."<br>"Thanks," he modestly confessed, "That... means a lot coming from you."  
>"And afterwards? Any plans to come back to the Normandy?"<br>"Well, that all depends… how about some drinks first?" he asked, pointing at the liquor selection behind the Café's counter.

"Sounds good," she asked, eyeing over all the different alcohols, "What are you drinking?"  
>"Shot of whiskey and a good old Canadian lager. Think they have it?"<br>Shepard squinted at the assortment, "More likely to have Batarian Shard Wine."

"Tell me what you want and I'll go order it."

She shrugged, unable to make a decision, "Surprise me."

Kaidan left the Commander behind and went to the counter. As he ordered their drinks, he kept looking back at Nevada and giving her a smile. She kept trying to understand his intentions… hoping this was nothing more than a friendly get-together. He thanked the bartender and carried over two glasses. He set one of them in front of Shepard and took a sip out of his. His had the pungent aroma of hops spewing from it, smelled like one of the beers she came across while on Omega. Hers was clear and had a lime slice hanging off the rim. She planned to backhand him if he brought her a glass of water…

She curiously picked it up and took a whiff, immediately recognizing the contents, "Tequila? Are you trying to soften me up, Major?"

"No," he held up his hand in protest, "We are simply being soldiers celebrating one's promotion."

"To the new Spectre," she held up her glass.

"To the first Spectre."

"Cheers," she smirked before taking a good sip of the strong liquor.  
>Kaidan took another drink from his glass, recollecting, "At my parents place in Vancouver, drank more than a few beers on their balcony, looking over English Bay."<br>"Yeah?"  
>"Yeah, beautiful view..." he sighed, heavy in his thoughts, "I miss it." A damaged look befell the man as he remembered the day they left Earth. It caused everyone on the Normandy a lot of distress. He peered over at the woman studying his movements and stated, "You know what, though? I feel good about our chances. Just knowing that we can do this lets me sleep better at night.<br>"You not sleeping, Kaidan?"  
>"Maybe a little restless..." he confessed, hesitant to continue, "The war isn't the only thing keeping me up at night... I wonder about us.<br>"Us?" Nevada asked, knowing right away that there was indeed more behind their rendezvous.  
>"Yeah, I want to make sure - after Mars, after Horizon. You and me, we're good?"<br>"Kaidan, we've been through rough missions together, had each other's backs..."

"I want you to be straight with me then. After Mars, and after doubting you... I just wanted to make sure that we're okay. Clear the air. But no, not just that. You were my commander, sure. But you listened, too. You sided with me about Vyrnnus. And when I told you about how Rahna broke my heart, you didn't judge me. You knew I needed that. We went through Ash's death together..." the sound of his heart dropping from the very mention of Ashley's name echoed through his injured voice.  
>"Yeah... we did."<br>"We were soldiers, but also friends. At least, I hope we were."  
>"Yeah. We still are. Even if we do butt heads every now and then, we're on good terms. It is great having you back on the Normandy. Feels just like old times… easier times…" she felt the nervousness from earlier begin to boil.<p>

Thankfully, the waitress came to their table and interrupted their current conversation. She set down the Major's sandwich first and then came around to present the Commander with hers. It looked like pasta, smelled like it too… it didn't move when she poked it with a fork… She carefully spooled a bit onto her fork and took a bite. She pondered over it and finally determined it was indeed edible. Kaidan couldn't resist laughing over Nevada's futile examination of her lunch.

She glared at him, "I had to be sure I wasn't eating some sort of crazy alien species that looked like spaghetti."

For the next few minutes, they peacefully sat quietly and ate. They were simply enjoying their surroundings and each other's company. Once their meal was done and they were waiting for the check, Shepard remembered something from earlier, "You still haven't told me if you'll be returning to the Normandy or not."

"I know…" Kaidan seemed apprehensive about what he was going to say, "It all depends on what you have to say."

"About what?"  
>"I know there's a war going on - and maybe you and I will never happen - but I need you to know something. I…" he took a deep breath and stared deeply into her brown eyes, "I have feelings for you, Shepard. I love you, I always have. And I want more. I want to understand what this is between us... and make it real. Not just as friends... as more than friends. I mean, I don't know..." he shook his head, trying to make sense of his feelings, "I just like having you in my life. Even when we're angry at each other, it's better than a day without you."<p>

"Kaidan, I," she tried to say something but couldn't.

"I know we've talking about this before and I know you have something going on with James… but I cannot stop thinking about you. I cannot stop hoping that you'll be with me. I just want to know if maybe, sometime somewhere we could ever be together. That's what I want… that's all I want," he revealed, laying all of his innermost feelings on the table.

Nevada sat quietly, trying to make sense of this whole situation. She could tell how much courage it took for him to admit his admiration and how much it meant for him to finally express it. But he already knew the answer…

"I'm sorry, Kaidan. But we should just keep it professional between us… just stay as friends."

"Right. Well, not the answer I was hoping for," he sounded injured.

"I'm sorry," she said, knowing it wouldn't help.

He sighed, "Does he make you happy?"

The joyful grin curling up on her face the moment she began thinking about her Lieutenant answered his question. Anytime she thought about James Vega… the things he's done for her, the encounters they shared together, the nurturing he's provided through her toughest moments… it was enough to make her glow. He was the light in her life. With him by her side, she felt invincible.

"I see… then I'm glad you're happy. Incidentally, you'd better be buying now," he looked away as the waitress stopped by once more with the check.

Shepard took it and replied, "It's the least I can do."

"I should let you get back to the Normandy," Kaidan advised.  
>"Actually, I'm going to head down to the Holding Area," she stood up and pushed her chair in, "Vega's there, getting an N7 tattoo."<p>

The Alliance marine quickly directed his attention back to the Commander, surprised about the current information, "He's joining the N7?"

"Yeah, and apparently I'm his mentor," she rolled her eyes.

"Oh… I should have asked before making a complete fool of myself."

"You didn't make a fool of yourself, you spoke from the heart. I appreciate that, Kaidan. I want you to feel free to tell things to me straight. Just because we cannot be together, doesn't mean we still cannot be friends. I do enjoy having you in my life and I always hope for the best for you. Just don't take this… too personally."

"Well, in that case, can you do me one favor?"

"Depends on the favor, Major… or should I say fellow Spectre?"

He laughed, "I'm not a Spectre yet but… could you slap his fresh ink?"

"Already ahead of you, been planning on doing that the moment he told me."

"I like you even more now," the Major smiled, "I guess this is goodbye. Since I'll be staying here on the Citadel, I hope you'll come and visit me every now and then.

"I will," she went up to him and gave him a firm hug, whispering, "Goodbye, Kaidan. Hopefully we'll cross paths again and continue to stay on good terms."

"It's all I can hope for," he whispered back.


	12. Chapter 12: Among Other Things

Chapter 12 – Among Other Things

Traversing through the dock's holding area was gradually becoming a depressing sight. The crowds continued to grow as more and more became refugees from the Reaper invasion. The photographs on the Memorial Wall piled atop each other, stained with the tears of their successors. Nevada disliked venturing through this level of the Citadel. It served as a painful reminder that she could be doing more, fighting harder and finding ways to bring this war to an end sooner.

Coming across the first make-shift room, she stumbled upon her shirtless Lieutenant. With his back towards a batarian tattooist, he appeared to be enjoying himself. He caught the familiar silhouette of his endearing Commander from the corner of his eyes and immediately began glowing.

"So you finally decided to show up," he smiled, rocking in his seat excitedly, "I was worried you wouldn't come."

"Don't move," the batarian snarled.

"Right," James relaxed his body and allowed the tattooist to return to his work.

Shepard propped her back up against the crate directly in front of him and crossed her arms, getting a perfect view of her Lieutenant. Her clean Alliance uniform stood out among the grungy bunch dwelling in the holding area. The bitter sounds of people mourning their loved once echoed upon the metal bins, resonating repeatedly into her ear.

Trying to tune out the vocal annoyances, she caught a group of batarians glaring at her viciously. Judging by their facial expressions, they appeared to still hold a grudge from her actions in the Bahak System and wanted justice for the lives she sacrificed. She knew there was nothing she could do to appease them so she ignored their piercing eyes and directed her attention elsewhere… towards her partially nude subordinate. She surveyed Vega's toned chest and enjoyed the sight of his firm muscles twitching every time the needle etched another line.

"You like what you see?"

"You could say that."

"If you got here sooner, I would have put on a little show when I took off my shirt," the Lieutenant grinned.

"Then I'm glad I took my time."

"Oh come on, Lola. You know you would have enjoyed it."

Running her fingers delicately through her long hair, she revealed her mischievous smile as she curled the stray strands behind her ear. "Maybe I'll make you perform your little show a little later."

"Sounds good but it wouldn't be the same appeal… I was hoping to make you blush in front of everyone here."

"You wish, Lieutenant. I would never do such a thing in public," Shepard noted, feeling the batarian's eyes burning into her flesh, "Keep that up and I'll be sure to take even longer to arrive to our get-togethers."

"Alright, point taken," Vega held up his hands in protest, "Speaking of which… what took you so long to get here?"

"I didn't mean to. I just…" she quickly found herself at a loss for words, "I got caught up with something…"

"Like what?"

"I was having lunch."

"With the Major?"

Nevada froze. Her deep brown eyes widened as she slowly returned to face him, curiously questioning, "How did you know?"

"He told me… I think it was yesterday or the day prior. He said he wanted a moment to discuss something with you in private. Didn't say what it was though but I knew it was something important… possibly something that was coming from the heart. He has a way of saying things without using words. I guess he wanted me to know just in case I saw you two having a moment together," Vega mentioned as he stretched his back muscles while the tattooist took a brief break.

The Commander knew this was going to take a while and crouched down onto the dusty floor, taking a seat with her back against the shipping crate. The humming of the crowded hallways outside the makeshift room seemed dulled down from this new position. Finding solace in this quieter ambience, Nevada felt the world around her disappear… leaving only the habitants within the crated area.

All she could hear now was the soft buzzing sound coming from the tattooist's gun while he continued to ink the Lieutenant's flesh. As the needle carved another line into his sensitive skin, James drowned out the pain by focusing his full attention on the beautiful soldier sitting before him. Still trying to understand her late arrival, he asked, "So… how was your lunch with _him_?"

After taking a moment to bask in his enamored gaze, she pursed her lips together and teased, "Do I detect a bit of jealousy in your voice?"

"Not at all."

"Really?" she pursued with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah… okay, just a little," he surrendered, holding up his fingers to measure an inch.

Enjoying her obscure victory, she shifted her legs to a more comfortable position before explaining, "Well, we met up at Apollo's Café and discussed a few things. We talked about the past and the future, we talked about Earth, and… you were right, he did have some things coming straight from the heart. He wanted to make sure things were cleared up between us. With the mess that happened back on Horizon and on Mars, with the tension happening on the Normandy, with all the disagreements we had about my loyalties… he wanted to know where he stood."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him that we were good… as long as we should kept things professional. I'm hoping things can stay on positive terms. Now more than ever since Udina has invited him to become a Spectre."

"Wow," James paused, taking a moment dwell on this new information, "That's big. No wonder he wanted to talk to you privately."

"Yeah…"

"Do you think he's ready for that responsibility?"

"I know he is. He'll make them proud. He's much more predictable than me… and the Council needs reliability at the moment. Not some renegade agent with bigger matters on her plate than the Council's safety," she muttered, staring idly at her fidgeting hands.

"It'll be interesting having two Spectres onboard."

"Actually, Kaidan won't be with us anymore. He's decided to stay behind on the Citadel after his ceremony because," she twiddled her fingers, unsure if she should reveal the Major's reason, "well, there was something more."

James took a deep sigh, "I had a hunch that there was something more."

"There always is with Kaidan. He's been trying to get with me ever since we first served on the SR-1."

"So he tried to take you away from me?"

"Tried and failed… he proceeded to ask me if you make me happy and I didn't have to say anything. My actions expressed whom my heart belongs to," her deep brown eyes locked onto his and shared how deeply she admired her Lieutenant.

"I…" he started but couldn't find the right words to fully express his feelings.

She pulled away from his endearing gaze as she continued, "But I'm left with this aching feeling. This time when he told me how much I meant to him and how he was hoping I felt the same way in return, even in the slightest… it felt different than any other of his previous attempts. This time felt like it was going to be the last time he would ever have the chance to say something. And it… it really makes me wonder how close to the end we really are."

The Lieutenant couldn't conjure up a response as he watched his Commander slowly rubbing her hands together. Deeply submersed in the thoughts about her recent encounter, her back slouched against the worn down crate. The sight of Nevada at the mercy of her mind left Vega questioning what the future held for them. What began as playful teasing and rousing midnight escapades, quickly developed to something deeper. He couldn't distinguish if it was Shepard's unwavering devotion on the battlefield being carried into her personal affairs or if it was the effects of the war around them forcing them to speed things up. Somehow their relationship was blossoming into something greater. The only qualm was how much longer they would have together.

Shepard knew precisely what was awaiting her… and the very thought left her dreadfully remembering the haunting experience of her death. With planets falling silent to the Reaper invasion and the list of casualties rapidly increasing, an end was inevitable. It was becoming more and more apparent… everywhere she looked there were reminders of this war. The number of refugees growing, the surplus of supplies becoming progressively scarce, and the sounds of despair raining outside of their crated enclosure was proof enough.

Before she could dwell on the thought much longer, James tuned in, "We may be closing in on the end of this war but what we have between us is just beginning… and I am not giving you up that easily."

His tone resonated towards the silent woman, immediately reigniting the life back into her eyes. She picked herself up from the ground and dusted the seat of her pants. A strange twinkle sparked from her gaze as she tugged the bottom of her officer's jacket down. The wicked curl of her lip crawled back on her long face, triggering the recessed memories of her bold wits. The reclaimed confidence beaconed from her voice, "You're right. It's too early for this Commander to give in."

"Damn straight," Vega rooted as the tattooist finished the final line of the design and began bandaging his fresh ink, "And think of it this way… with the Major gone it works in your advantage. While he's taking care of the Council, you can concentrate on more important issues."

"Good point… like finding a way to stop these damned Reapers."

"Actually, I was talking about our training," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "This again?"

"Whether you like it or not, you are my direct superior."

"Among other things," Shepard bluntly interrupted.

"Yes, among other things… but I take my lead from you. And you know… I'll take whatever advice you've got when it comes to being an N7."

"Really?"

"Sure… the good advice," he joked as he stood up, grabbed his shirt, and carefully put it on, "So we better get started on that training, Commander."

"You know that's going to sting for a few days. Are you sure you're going to be ready for duty?"

"I'm not looking forward to slapping my armor back on... but I'm always ready."

"Oh really, Lieutenant?"

"That's affirmative," he prowled towards Nevada and wrapped his burly arms around her. Pulling her tightly against his chest, he could feel her heart beating loudly. A warming sensation overwhelmed him as a single thought crossed his mind -_"My actions expressed whom my heart belongs to." _Remembering her every word, he leaned down and softly planted a kiss on her forehead.

Shepard glanced up at her captor's eyes, slightly mesmerized by his affectionate actions. She rested her cheek against his as she rubbed her hands along his back. Her fingers came across the outline of the gauze covering his fresh ink. A devious grin quickly appeared as she noticed her opportunity. With one swift movement, she pulled her hand back and slapped the sensitive area.

"Ow! What was that for?" James called out as he pulled away.

"I thought you said you were ready for duty," she sharply replied.

"I am but that's hardly what I would define as duty."

"Shouldn't matter what the definition is. You knew this was coming, I even warned you. I distinctively remember telling you that I was going to slap your tattoo."

"I thought you were joking." he protested, "Still… it doesn't mean you should."

"Are you defying your commanding officer, Lieutenant?" she playfully asked, leaning in and eying her subordinate carefully.

"Among other things… you said so yourself."

"You have no idea what you signed yourself up for when you made me your mentor," she purred as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him near.

"You _really_ are going to put me through my paces, aren't you?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"When do we start?"

"I expect you to be in my quarters as soon as we board for your first training session."

"Is that before or after I put on a little show?"

"That depends," she lipped, leaning in with her mouth dangerously closing in on his, "Do you really want to postpone your training for one silly little strip down? Or do you want to jump straight into testing your endurance?"

"Are you going to show up considerably late this time too?" he jokingly asked.

"Gah!" she growled, forcing him towards the exit.


	13. Chapter 13: Entitlement

Chapter 13 – Entitlement

The overwhelming sweet stench of sweat wafted over the Commander's bed. Lying with her bosom planted against her pillow, Shepard's curvy hips were completely bare to the brisk air of her quarters. A sense of accomplishment glowed in her gleaming smile from dominating her subordinate repeatedly over the past few hours. Her hungry eyes stared at him aimlessly, wondering when the next round would commence.

The Lieutenant basked in the glory of his defeat. Curling his leg around the last remaining sheet on the bed, his right arm slithered underneath his pillow to prop his head up to the same level as his victor. He may have lost the battle of endurance against his commanding officer but it was worth every exhausting minute. As he was quietly recuperating his strength, he gazed over his surroundings… the school of Thessian Sunfish scouring the surface of the fish tank for food, the array of empty bottles littering the room from their repeated attempts of outdrinking each other, and the orange lights on the bedside table's clock flashing today's date.

Once he noticed the date, his heart plummeted. He tried to hide his emotional attachment by surveying the delicate flesh resting beside him. Hoping that one look at her contagious smile would rid the pain slowly brewing within. But when his eyes met hers, his pupils couldn't disguise the suffering dwelling within.

Nevada immediately caught onto her partner's despair and the glow quickly dissipated. She shifted upright and repositioned her legs to bend by her side. Holding the pillow against her chest, she rested her chin against the rim. "What's wrong, James?" she asked with concern bellowing in her voice,

"It's nothing," he looked away, trying to hide behind a fake grin.

"It's apparent you have something on your mind. Why don't you tell me what is troubling you?"

"Am I really that obvious?"

Shepard reached out, placing the back of her hand gently against the warmth of his cheek. Tracing the outline of his prominent jaw line with her thumb, she pointed, "You are to me."

Vega pulled away from her comforting hand and leaned up against the backboard of the bed. Running his hand through his messed up Mohawk, he attempted to explain, "It's the date… I saw what day it was and I couldn't help it."

"What is so special about today?"

"Today marks the anniversary of what happened on Fehl Prime," the tone in his voice deepened as his heart recalled the screams of the lost, "The day where I decided the fate of thousands."

"Oh…" she sunk into the comforts of her pillow, "I'm sorry."

Her words bounced right off. No apology could save her Lieutenant from the battlefield fighting within his mind. The vacant glare in his eyes made it apparent that he was lost in the painful memories replaying like a broken record. No matter how many times the images summarized the events, the ending remained the same. Shepard wanted to say something insightful but everything would be drowned out. She knew the emotions he was fighting all too well… having dealt with her own. All she could do was await his return from his trip down memory lane.

Quietly sitting with her pillow still clenched against her chest, the Commander watched as her Lieutenant fought to reclaim his sanity. The silence made each minute pass by slower than the last. As every minute ticked by on her bedside clock, the worse Vega's facial expressions became. Each emotion stewing and mixing with the next, combining the perfect storm of agitated nerves and distressed feelings. Everything he bottled within, all the burdens he held back, were making their agonizing appearance.

"It's my fault!" the troubled marine cried out. He shook his head in protest, the tears welling up in his eyes, "I should have saved them! If I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently and they could all be alive."

Nevada knew his pain firsthand. She took a deep breathe and explained, "That's the thing, James. Everything is easier to think about when it's hindsight. There are so many things I would go back and do differently… but nothing can change what has already happened. The damage is done and we have to live with the consequences."

"You definitely know how to cheer someone up, Lola," he scowled.

"I won't sugar coat anything, war is ugly… lives will be lost… sacrifices will be made… and we will deal with the emotional burden left in its wake."

"I know… but it's not easy."

"Oh course it isn't. No matter how prepared we think we are we won't know what we signed up for until we are face to face with it. There is no easy way to deal with those kinds of situations, take it from me."

The Lieutenant took a deep breathe, soaking in everything his commanding officer shared. Hoping he could get some insight on how to overcome this internal struggle, he asked, "How did you deal with the destruction of the Alpha Relay?"

"The only way I could… locked away in my quarters and drinking myself to sleep every night until my incarceration," she recalled, her disillusioned stare gazing at the stitches in her bed sheets, "The sacrifices become greater the higher up the ranks you become. You may have sacrificed a few thousand for your data but I cut off a whole system just to buy us some time from the Reapers. There were 304,942 lives on Aratoht… that number will continue to haunt me. That's not including all the lives from the neighboring planets in that system and the people aboard that asteroid. I couldn't save any of them…"

"It's a lot to think about isn't it?

"Yeah… it is. One thing I learned is having someone to talk to really helps relieve all the emotions stacking inside, especially someone who has dealt through the same turmoil. I knew from the moment I met you that you went through a similar ordeal, maybe not as great as mine but still emotionally draining. Every time you visited my cell at Alliance Headquarters, you listened to me babble on and on about my assignments. You may have considered it as an opportunity to learn from the best but you were actually helping me grieve."

James turned his head to face his partner. No matter how devastating her missions were she bravely survived through them… emotionally, physically, mentally. She was an inspiration to him when he first began serving and continued to be the light for his duty to this very moment. He knew it was something he needed to share, "Shepard, you were the soldier I fantasized about becoming, the hero I aimed to mature into. Your dedication, your strength, your courage… you have always been an inspiration to me. I wanted nothing more than to make the Alliance proud by living up to your expectations…"

"And then you realized that this all comes at a price."

"Yeah, I learned first hand about sacrifice."

"It's a heavy burden to carry alone," she looked into his deep eyes and smiled. Scooting closer, she took refuge against his side. James wrapped his arm around the weathered soldier and squeezed her body closer to his. She took his hand into hers and began tracing the outlines of his fingers. "We've seen the worst this world has to offer and we've dealt with the toughest decisions. That's one reason why we are perfect for each other."

"It's funny you mention that. Right before my mission on Fehl Prime, the guys on my squad used to poke fun at me for my obsession over you. One even joked that we would have made a cute couple… if you weren't dead and all."

"Then it's a good thing I'm no longer dead," she cupped his hand into a ball and brought it to rest over her beating heart, "Why don't you tell me more about your squad?"

"Well," he thought about it, concerned about the sensitive attachments that may surface. As Nevada snuggled deeper in the crevasse created by his arm, James gently brushed his chin against her soft hair. Breathing in her sweet scent, his nerves began calming down. Taking her advice into serious consideration, he concluded that talking about it may help him get past this. "There were seven of us in Delta Squad, including myself, and I know I told you all about Captain Toni…" he stopped, feeling reserved about continuing.

"Go on," she encouraged him.

"There was Mason… Flyboy as I used to call him. He was a talented shuttle pilot, nothing like Esteban though. He was constantly threatening to quit but I swear Kamille kept him going. She was a great soldier, her training spoke for itself. She definitely gave us a run for our money, even joked that the rest of us needed to grow a pair. Especially since Essex kept making passes at her… he was one hell of a biotic. He definitely put the Collectors through their paces. He was such a showoff. Even if it put us in jeopardy, he would take any opportunity to show his abilities. If I remember correctly, he was the one who mocked my devotion towards you… telling me I should worship him as my hero instead."

Shepard snorted, "Sounds like he was quite a character."

"That's putting it mildly. Who am I missing… shit, how could I forget Nicky? He was our tech guy. Not much of a soldier when under pressure but his technical specialties put him light years past us. He was great at tactical analysis and his combat drone always made a great distraction. Plus he looked up to me… had a lot of respect for me. Last but certainly not least, is Milque. Give him a Mantis and he could shoot a fly buzzing a thousand yards out. He may have been a cynical loco but he was dedicated. Anytime he saved our backs, we owed him a free drink. He was the only one from my squad to survive…"

"At least someone survived. Have you been in contact with him recently?"

"Not since we paid homage at the Memorial."

"Maybe you should take a moment today to talk to him."

Vega sighed, "Maybe I will… but he's going to laugh his ass off the moment I tell him that I'm on the Normandy."

Shepard was puzzled, "Why would he do that?"

"Because I'm serving under you… when Essex joked about my slavish devotion towards you, Milque burst out laughing and would snicker every time I put on my Remember the Normandy badge. He was starting to put my obsession at the same level as Essex's constant rejection from Kamille."

"Is that so?" the Commander had a smug grin crawl unto her lips, "Well, he can laugh all he wants but you have bragging rights. You nabbed yourself the best the Alliance has to offer, even after death. All thanks to Liara's ability to find my body, Cerberus's funding, and Miranda's dedication. Speaking of which, I still need to thank her."

"I do too," he smiled, using his free hand to guide Shepard's face towards him. He stared into her big brown eyes and felt the weight of the incident's anniversary melt away. She was right… sharing the stories of his squad helped alleviate the strain on his shoulders. He felt like he was able to bring them back to life, even if it was for a brief moment. As much as he despised Cerberus, he thanked his lucky stars that they had the funding to bring back the woman lying beside him. Tucking the stray strand of hair behind her ear, he confessed, "If it weren't for Miranda, I would be a very lonely man. Even Treeya couldn't heal this broken mess."

A bit of confusion trickled over the Commander's face. She raised her eyebrow, "Treeya? Was she also a part of Delta Squad?"

The Lieutenant's gaze widened. He rarely discussed his past with Nevada and whenever he did he neglected to mention the parts that contained the asari he saved from the Collectors. Knowing he needed to quickly elaborate, he explained, "She wasn't a part of my squad. She was an anthropologist studying the ruins near the colony on Fehl Prime. She was there when we faced the Collectors, when I lost my squadmates, and when we dealt with a Cerberus operative named Messner."

"Oh," her glare pierced right through him, "Why am I sensing there is something more? What kind of relationship did you have with Treeya?"

"Well, I was attracted to her. It took her some time to warm up to me. She thought the Alliance was meddling in her research and hated us grunts. It wasn't until the Collector attack that we started to bond. I saved her life multiple times during the attack… and when it came down to choosing to save her with the data Messner collected or the thousands of colonists aboard the Collector ship, I chose her. She hated my decision, didn't think she was worth the lives I sacrificed. She made that apparent when she joined me on my debriefing on the Citadel. I couldn't bring myself to tell her how I felt about choosing her… at least not until we visited the Memorial Wall on Fehl Prime."

"She was the one you sacrificed thousands for? You saved her…" Nevada gritted her teeth as she looked away, "So… what happened afterwards?"

"I thought we could get past the tragic lost of the colonists but the devastation was too great. The burden wore against our relationship and even our friendship. It became difficult to spend time together without thinking back to what happened on the Collector ship. There was no way for us to look towards our future."

Shepard's silence concerned Vega. Her body remained motionless while he revealed the details of his relationship with Treeya. Incapable of reading her thoughts, he gently cupped her chin and guided Nevada to face him. The raw affliction of discovering her partner's past by sheer accident lingered in her sight. Knowing that his sacrifice held strong influence from his bond towards the asari, he was worried that his Commander would view him differently.

"I still spend many hours reconsidering my judgment. The imprints from everyone I knew and lost that day will continue to haunt my memories and I'll always wonder if I did the right thing. There's nothing I can do about it now, you said so yourself. No matter how many times I search for resolution. But there is one thing I never questioned…" he rubbed her cheek with his thumb, "us."

"So I don't have to worry about her?"

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"Possibly," her voice growled.

"Don't worry. No one can compare to you," his melodic voice attempted to reassure his partner but the words only added to her uncertainty.

"Is that because of the reputation that surrounds me? That I'm _the_ Shepard, _the_ savior of the Citadel and _the_ best hope for humanity to survive this war against the Reapers?" she asked, hitting her chest with her hand to emphasize her being. "That even though I am a reincarnation of my previous self in this artificial body, everybody expects me to succeed?"

"You may be a legend, you may be a copy…" Vega stared deeply into her eyes as they begged for some sort of salvation, "but you are still human and you have the same desires as any being would. Nothing can change who you are and what you are capable of. I know this for a fact since you stole my heart, Nevada. And for once, someone saved me. I was a broken man who could only dream of your glory. My squadmates can laugh at me all they want but you were everything I was waiting for. You saved me from the dark past I was running away from and made me feel complete again. Every part of me, everything I have and everything I can give, it all belongs to you," he smiled, running his fingers through her long silky hair.

"Good because I didn't feel like sharing."

"You won't have to. What happened on Fehl Prime, including Treeya, will always be a part of my past but I'm looking forward towards my future. And the only future I see involves you."

"Out of sheer curiosity, what do you see in our future?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I know after this war is over, I want to whisk you away and take you somewhere nice. If it's still mostly intact, I would love to take you to the desert I grew up in. I would cook for you every single day and make you some of my abuela's recipes. Maybe we could even settle down…"

"That's ambitious. You want to pull me away from all these military restraints and demands?"

"You're right. That selfish of me to think I could steal you from the Alliance."

"Although," Shepard nuzzled against her muscular man, "I died once while serving. I don't want to die again in the line of duty."

"So you would actually consider retiring?" he asked, relishing in the thought of his partner warming up the idea of settling down.

"Before I met you, it was in my blood to be an Alliance brat until the day I die. But I've been there… done that… and not exactly looking forward to it happening again. I think you're softening me up, Vega. The more I fight, the more it becomes a possibility of escaping these bonds and living for myself," the tone in her voice reflected her dearest intentions.

Nevada was growing weary of the constant bustle of fighting to live day to day. She had every determination to see this war to the end but knew this wouldn't be an easy task. This one would be testing her to her limits and it would be a struggle to keep standing afterwards. Knowing there was no immanent future to plan towards, the only goal she had set was to survive so she could enjoy the fruits of her labor… including the relationship with her Lieutenant.

The heat pulsing through his skin was comforting against her seasoned bones. Unable to restrain her wandering hand, she idly watched as her fingertips walked the length from his navel to his collarbone. Pressing her palm against the side of his neck, she felt every beat throbbing through his veins. Resting her chin against his toned chest, she closed her eyes and shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe we could have a little one to continue the legacy."

The words caused his heart to skip a beat, "Wait, did I just hear you correctly?"

"Yes but I am talking about it happening far off in the distance, not anytime soon."

"I remember you telling me that you could never think about having children."

"I may have said that before but I've been doing a lot of thinking since then.. And from what I've seen at the restaurant, you appear to be good with kids."

"But I don't deserve to have one of my own."

"Why is that?"

"I broke a promise I made to a little girl that I would protect her…" James confessed, triggering the emotional connection of Fehl Prime to resurface, "I know I would have done things differently if she was my own."

"And this is why you would make a great father," Shepard inputted and could feel Vega's confused eyes staring at her, "You had a difficult decision to make back then but you learned from it. Now you know you would go to great lengths to protect your own child. This time you can make the same promise and keep it."

"Maybe."

"Figuratively speaking, if you had to choose between a boy or a girl, what would you want?"

"I would love to have a little girl."

"Me too."

"And I think I would want to name her April… in memoriam."

"Understandable. I know you may not believe me but I know you would be a great father. I can even see you as becoming slightly over-protective, especially when they get to the age of dating… which isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Now you're flattering me," James pulled his partner close and nuzzled his cheek against her forehead. The warmth radiating through her skin welcomed his embrace, enticing him to plant a tender kiss near the small scar hidden by her eyebrow. The moment his mouth was no longer in contact, his primal impulses kicked in. He was left wanting… craving… yearning for more. Nevada was his addiction and cure. Only the sweet caress of her lips against his would quell his withdrawal.

Sitting upright, he wrapped his arms around the Commander and moved her to completely face him. Bracing herself on her knees, she mounted her subordinate's leg. Vega tucked Shepard's hair behind her ear and ran his thumb along the length of her jaw line. Placing his hand on the back of her neck, he hinted his intentions and began directing her closer.

As she placed her hand his chest, the beating of her heart pounded through her fingertips like a drum. Increasing in tempo as his actions heightened her senses. Brushing her nose against his, their breathing became heavier with every inhale. The way her eyelashes lightly batted across his shut eyelids, crawled under his skin and surged through his spine. Her hand navigated to the back of his head and immediately began massaging the scalp under his Mohawk. Every urge, every sensation, eagerly anticipated the arrival of his embrace.

Without any further ado, James sealed the distance and locked their mouths. Their moist meeting quickly escalated, fueled by their carnal rage. Shepard nibbled at his lower lip, tugging for his strong caress. Obsessed with pleasing their physical cravings for each other, he continued to whet their sexual appetite by granting his partner's wish. Boldly diving his tongue to meet with hers, coddling their contact by teasing and tempting hers to divulge back.

As their lustful impulses became predominately influential in what direction they were heading, he pulled away briefly and suggested between heavy breaths, "You know, we could try for that little girl right now…"

"I don't think so, James," she ticked at him, "You're still in training. Don't think you'll weasel your way out of this endurance test that easily."

"Understood, ma'am," the side of his lips curled up as he wrapped his fingers into Nevada's brunette locks and guided her mouth to greet his again, satiating his addiction once more.


End file.
